SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Poonum Rashmikant Patel, 26, of Sacramento, has been appointed senior permit assistance specialist at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, where she has served as permit assistance specialist since 2014 and was a special assistant from 2013 to 2014. Patel was a special assistant for appointments in the Office of the Governor from 2011 to 2013. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $77,220. Patel is a Democrat.
Nancee Trombley, 54, of Galt, has been appointed chief deputy executive director at the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, where she has served as deputy director of compliance and chief compliance officer since 2014. Trombley served in several positions at the California State Treasurer’s Office from 2009 to 2014, including treasury program manager at the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority in 2014 and treasury program manager at the California Capital Access Program from 2009 to 2014. Trombley was a training and recruiting specialist at Safe Credit Union-American River HealthPro Credit Union from 2008 to 2009 and senior credit supervisor at Fireside Bank from 1990 to 2007. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Monterey Bay. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,504. Trombley is a Democrat.
Sonya Logman, 27, of Roseville, has been appointed deputy secretary of business and consumer relations at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. Logman has been external affairs director at the California Exposition and State Fair since 2013. She served in several positions in the Office of the Governor from 2011 to 2013, including deputy appointments secretary and as an assistant to the appointments secretary. Logman served as capitol director in the Office of Acting Lieutenant Governor Mona Pasquil from 2009 to 2010 and was a special assistant in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor from 2007 to 2009, where she was an administrative assistant from 2006 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $112,008. Logman is a Democrat.
George Akiyama, 50, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief information officer at the California Department of Transportation. Akiyama has been an information technology manager at the California Public Employees Retirement System since 2012. He served as an information technology manager at the California Franchise Tax Board from 2011 to 2012, deputy director and chief information officer at the Financial Information System for California from 2009 to 2011 and information technology manager at the Franchise Tax Board from 2001 to 2009. Akiyama earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $125,004. Akiyama is a Republican.
Jessica Gonzalez, 36, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant deputy director of communications at the California Department of Motor Vehicles, where she has served as an information officer since 2012. Gonzalez was a communications strategist at Blanning and Baker Associates from 2010 to 2012 and a news producer at KCRA-TV from 2007 to 2010. She earned a Master of Science degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $89,196. Gonzalez is a Democrat.
Coby Petersen, 52, of Wilton, has been appointed deputy secretary of veterans homes at the California Department of Veterans Affairs, where he has served as deputy secretary of veterans homes since 2014. Petersen was the senior army advisor to the U.S. Army Adjutant General at the California Military Department from 2010 to 2014, chief of future operations in the 3rd U.S. Army, Kuwait from 2009 to 2010 and brigade and battalion commander of the U.S. Army 174th Infantry Brigade from 2006 to 2009. Petersen was deputy fire support coordinator for the 3rd Marine Division, U.S. Pacific Command from 2003 to 2006 and served in multiple positions for the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division, Germany from 2000 to 2003, including battalion executive officer and chief of plans officer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served as a brigade personnel officer in the Theater Support Brigade from 1998 to 2000, battalion fire support officer in the 5-87th Infantry Battalion from 1996 to 1998, training officer in the U.S. Fifth Army West from 1994 to 1996 and served in various other positions for the U.S. Army from 1987 to 1994. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $132,396. Petersen is registered without party preference.
Thomas Jay Martin, 30, of West Sacramento, has been appointed assistant deputy secretary of veterans homes at the California Department of Veterans Affairs, where he has served as special assistant to the undersecretary of veterans homes since 2013. Martin served in several positions in the Office of the Governor from 2009 and 2013, including senior constituent affairs representative, internship program coordinator, constituent affairs representative and constituent affairs email supervisor. He was a staff assistant in the Sacramento Mayor’s Office in 2009. Martin earned a Master of Arts degree in government from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $95,544. Martin is registered without party preference.
Taryn Ravazzini, 40, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of special initiatives at the California Department of Water Resources. Ravazzini has been coordinator at the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee since 2013. She was a guest relations coordinator at Opus One Winery from 2012 to 2013, senior wine educator at Domaine Carneros Winery from 2009 to 2012 and a law clerk at the Law and Mediation Offices of McDonald and Mannion in 2007. Ravazzini was a legal writing teaching assistant at the Golden Gate University School of Law in 2006, an account executive at the Dolphin Group from 2003 to 2005 and held multiple positions at the Association of California Water Agencies from 1999 to 2003, including field representative and federal relations representative. She was a staff assistant in the Office of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer from 1998 to 1999, a capital fellow at the Judicial Council of California from 1997 to 1998 and an assistant to the legislative liaison at the California Postsecondary Education Commission in 1997. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Golden Gate University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $130,008. Ravazzini is registered without party preference.
Simona Agnolucci, 38, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the University of California, Hastings College of the Law Board of Directors. Agnolucci has been a partner at Keker and Van Nest since 2015, where she was an associate from 2012 to 2015. She was an associate at Howard, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady, Falk and Rabkin from 2007 to 2012 and served as a law clerk for Judge William C. Canby, Jr. from 2006 to 2007. Agnolucci earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Agnolucci is a Democrat.
Courtney Power, 46, of San Carlos, has been appointed to the University of California, Hastings College of the Law Board of Directors. Power has been a senior legal director at Google Inc. since 2014, where she has held several positions since 2005, including legal director, product counsel and commercial counsel. She was an associate at Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher from 2001 to 2005. Power earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Power is a Democrat.
Maria Aliferis-Gjerde, 42, of Sacramento, has been appointed executive officer of the California Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities at the California Department of Rehabilitation, where she has served as executive officer at the State Rehabilitation Council since 2013. She was a legislative policy analyst at the California Department of Public Health’s Policy and Enforcement Branch in the Center of Health Care Quality from 2012 to 2013 and a legislative analyst at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Office of Legislative and Regulatory Policy from 2008 to 2012. She was press secretary in the Office of California State Assemblymember Patty Berg from 2006 to 2008 and an assistant to California State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez from 2004 to 2006 and to California State Assembly Speaker Herb J. Wesson, Jr. from 2002 to 2004. Aliferis-Gjerde was a press deputy in the Office of California State Assembly Speaker Robert M. Hertzberg from 2000 to 2002, assistant to California State Assembly Speaker Antonio R. Villaraigosa from 1998 to 2000 and a press aide in the Office of California State Assembly Speaker Cruz M. Bustamante from 1996 to 1998 and in the Office of California State Assembly Minority Leader Richard Katz in 1996. She earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $83,136. Aliferis-Gjerde is a Democrat.
Marysol de la Torre-Escobedo, 37, of Chico, has been appointed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. De la Torre-Escobedo has been a teacher for the Chico Unified School District since 2007. She earned a Master of Arts degree in education and teaching from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. De la Torre-Escobedo is a Democrat.
Jose Gonzalez, 43, of Atwater, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, where he has served since 2014. Gonzalez has been superintendent at the Planada Elementary School District since 2010. He was superintendent principal at the Ballico-Cressey Elementary School District from 2006 to 2010 and served in several positions for the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District from 2003 to 2006, including principal of alternative education, principal of summer school and interim principal. Gonzalez was an English-language science teacher at Livingston High School from 1996 to 2003. He is a member of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators, School Employers Association of California, Association of California School Administrators and the Small School Districts Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Gonzalez is a Democrat.
Jane Gray, 42, of Goleta, has been appointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Gray has been an environmental planner and project manager at Dudek since 2006. She was a planner at the Santa Barbara County Long Range Planning Division from 2004 to 2006, a policy planner for planning and environmental services for the County of Fresno from 2003 to 2004 and an English-language arts and English as a Second Language teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2003. Gray was an English as a Second Language teacher at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute in 2003 and at the Beverly Hills International School of Languages from 2002 to 2003. She was a grant writer for South East Area Arts Development from 2001 to 2002 and an English as a Second Language teacher at the Language Center from 1999 to 2001 and at the Mentor Language Institute from 1998 to 1999. Gray was a program manager and grant writer for refugee resettlement at the Catholic Charities of Los Angeles from 1998 to 1999 and an English language program director at the Benedict School from 1997 to 1998. She earned a Master of Science degree in regional planning and management from the Technical University of Dortmund. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gray is registered without party preference.
Renee Misso, 65, of Tulelake, has been appointed to the 10a District Agricultural Association, Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Board of Directors. Misso served as a teacher at the Tulelake Basin Joint Unified School District from 1989 to 2012. She is a member of the Tulelake Area Service Club, Friends of the Modoc County Library, Tulelake Chamber of Commerce and Delta Kappa Gamma and the Order of the Eastern Star. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Misso is a Republican.
Tracey Struble, 49, of Dorris, has been appointed to the 10a District Agricultural Association, Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Board of Directors. Struble has been owner and operator at A Royal Touch Event Planning since 2012 and co-owner and operator at Struble Ranch since 2006. She is a member of the Butte Valley High School Booster Club and president of the Butte Valley All Class Reunion. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Struble is a Republican.
Jacquelyn Ellen Crabtree, 45, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Humanities Board of Directors. Crabtree has been the owner of four Aveda Salon and Spa stores since 2005. She was manager and a hairstylist at Maida’s Touch Salon from 1999 to 2005 and a bookkeeper at Wild Carter and Oliver Law Firm from 1991 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Crabtree is a Democrat.