SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Robin Purdy, 65, of Herald, has been appointed chief deputy director at the California Workforce Development Board, where she has been a special consultant since 2015. Purdy has been a consultant at Valley Vision and faculty at California State University, Sacramento since 2015. She held several positions at the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency from 1987 to 2014, including deputy director in the Workforce Development Department, chief of the Planning and Community Development Division and deputy chief of human resources and community services. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $112,800. Purdy is a Democrat.
Sarah L. White, 52, of Carmichael, has been appointed deputy director of equity, climate and jobs at the California Workforce Development Board, where she has been a special consultant since 2015. White was a senior associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Center on Wisconsin Strategy from 2007 to 2015, principal at Sarah L. White Consulting from 2001 to 2015 and a policy and budget advisor at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development from 2005 to 2007. She was director of environmental initiatives at Wilderness Inquiry from 2000 to 2002 and associate director at the Rural AIDS Action Network from 1996 to 2000. White earned Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Philosophy and Master of Arts degrees in history from Columbia University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $108,000. White is registered without party preference.
Sandra Tauler, 56, of Calexico, has been appointed to the California Library Services Board. Tauler has been community services director for the City of Calexico since 2008, where she has served in several positions since 1990, including city librarian and library and cultural arts director. She was a reference librarian and part-time instructor at Imperial Valley College from 1998 to 2006 and a reference librarian at San Diego State University from 1995 to 1998. Tauler is a member of the American Library Association and the Desert Valley Library Media Association. She earned a Master of Library Science degree in library studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Tauler is a Democrat.
Brian Harris Deephouse, 43, of Irvine, has been appointed to the California Earthquake Authority Advisory Panel, where he has served since 2010. Deephouse has been vice president and chief actuary at the Automobile Club of Southern California since 2009. He held several positions at Zurich-Farmers Insurance Group from 1997 to 2009, including vice president and chief commercial actuary, assistant vice president of independent agent product management and manager of personal lines actuarial. He was manager of catastrophe modeling at Allstate Insurance from 1996 to 1997. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Deephouse is registered without party preference.
Susan Rubin, 58, of Playa Vista, has been appointed to the California Earthquake Authority Advisory Panel. Rubin has been chief operating officer and general counsel at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute since 2014. She was executive director at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Saban Research Institute from 2011 to 2014, managing director at the University of California, Los Angeles California NanoSystems Institute from 2004 to 2011 and executive officer in the University of California, Los Angeles Office of the Associate Administrative Vice Chancellor from 2001 to 2004. Rubin was an attorney at the Law Offices of Susan D. Praskin Rubin from 1985 to 2004. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Rubin is a Democrat.
Janna Sidley, 52, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy. Sidley has been general counsel at the Port of Los Angeles since 2013. She served as deputy city attorney in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office from 2003 to 2013, was vice president of communications at Pallotta Teamworks in 2002 and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal and Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1998 to 2002, where she served as deputy director in the Office on Violence Against Women from 1997 to 1998. She was deputy director of the Office of Press Advance at the White House from 1995 to 1996, where she was lead of presidential advance from 1993 to 2000. Sidley served as a special assistant in the Office of the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1996, where she was special assistant for congressional and legislative affairs in the Bureau of Reclamation from 1993 to 1994. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Sidley is a Democrat.
Helen Torres, 47, of San Bernardino, has been appointed to the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy. Torres has been executive director at Hispanas Organized for Political Equality since 2000. She was fundraising manager at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles from 1998 to 2000. Torres is a member of the Alliance for a Better Community Board of Directors and graduated from the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality Leadership Institute in 1999. She earned a Master of Arts degree in urban studies and communication from Michigan State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Torres is registered without party preference.
Sean Varner, 49, of Riverside, has been appointed to the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy. Varner has been managing partner at Varner and Brandt LLP since 2006, where he was partner from 2001 to 2006 and associate from 1997 to 2001. He was an associate at Ropers, Majeski, Kohn and Bentley from 1993 to 1997. Varner earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Pepperdine University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Varner is a Republican.
Wendy Garen, 63, of Glendale, has been appointed to the California Volunteers Commission. Garen has been president and chief executive officer at the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation since 2008, where she has held several positions since 1986, including executive director, program officer, senior program officer and program director. She was executive director at the Los Angeles Child Care and Development Council from 1984 to 1986, program manager at the Children’s Home Society from 1978 to 1984 and program manager at Crystal Stairs from 1981 to 1984. She is a member of the County of Los Angeles Commission on Children and Families and chair of Southern California Grantmakers. She earned a Master of Arts degree in urban planning and public policy from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Garen is a Republican.
Marylee Sheppard, 39, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention. Sheppard has been chief of the Resources Development and Training Support Bureau at the California Department of Social Services since 2013, where she has held several positions since 2007, including manager of integrated services and social services consultant. She was a social worker at the Yolo County Department of Employment and Social Services from 2006 to 2007. Sheppard earned a Master of Social Work degree from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Sheppard is registered without party preference.
Leanne M. Wheeler, 47, of Citrus Heights, has been appointed to the California Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention. Wheeler has been an education programs consultant at the California Department of Education since 2001. She was an administrative assistant and grant coordinator liaison at the San Juan Unified School District’s Education for Homeless Children and Youths program from 1999 to 2001 and a teacher at Dyer-Kelly Elementary School from 1994 to 1999. Wheeler earned a Master of Arts degree in education administration from Chapman University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Wheeler is registered without party preference.