SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Jared Goldman, 44, of Napa, has been appointed deputy director and chief counsel at the California Department of Health Care Services. Goldman has been a partner at Best, Best and Krieger LLP since 2012. He served in several positions at the California Prison Health Care Receivership from 2006 to 2012, including chief counsel and staff counsel. Goldman was deputy county counsel at the Santa Clara County Counsel’s Office from 2001 to 2006. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $160,308. Goldman is a Democrat.
Karen Naungayan, 46, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed assistant director of external affairs at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Naungayan has been communications director at Housing California since 2006. She was marketing programs and events manager at Inventures Alliance Management from 2002 to 2006 and managing editor at Fatbrain.com Inc. from 2000 to 2002. Naungayan was senior project editor at Ten Speed Press from 1999 to 2000 and a project editor at Prima Publishing from 1997 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $92,004. Naungayan is a Democrat.
Anthony Pane, 36, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy general counsel at the California Department of Housing and Community Development, where he has served as assistant chief counsel since 2015 and was an attorney from 2009 to 2015. Pane has been an adjunct instructor at California State University, Sacramento since 2011. He was an attorney at the California Department of Human Resources from 2007 to 2009. Pane earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $129,600. Pane is a Democrat.
Randy Fiorini, 62, of Turlock, has been appointed to the Delta Stewardship Council, where he has been chair since 2014 and has served since 2010. Fiorini has been managing partner and farmer at Fiorini Ranch since 1975. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $153,936. Fiorini is a Republican.
Ken Weinberg, 58, of San Diego, has been appointed to the Delta Stewardship Council. Weinberg has been an adjunct lecturer at California State University, San Marcos and principal and owner at Ken Weinberg Water Resources Consulting LLC since 2015. He served in several positions at the San Diego County Water Authority from 1991 to 2015, including director of water resources, water resources supervisor and water reclamation supervisor. Weinberg was a project manager at the City of San Diego Engineering and Development Department from 1987 to 1991. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from San Diego State University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $43,795. Weinberg is a Democrat.
Lester Snow, 64, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation Board of Directors. Snow has been executive director at the Resources Legacy Fund’s Water Foundation since 2011. He served as secretary at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2010 to 2011 and as director at the California Department of Water Resources from 2004 to 2010. Snow is a member of the Water Education Foundation Board of Directors and the Public Policy Institute of California Advisory Committee. Snow earned a Master of Science degree in water resources administration from the University of Arizona. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Snow is a Democrat.
Zia Zafir, 56, of Gold River, has been appointed to the State Mining and Geology Board. Zafir has been vice president and chief seismic engineer at Kleinfelder Inc. since 2010, where he has held several positions since 1994, including practice leader, principal engineer and staff engineer. He was a staff engineer at Geo Spectra Consulting Engineers Inc. from 1993 to 1994. Zafir earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in civil engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Zafir is registered without party preference.
Jason Chan, 36, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the 1a District Agricultural Association, Grand National Rodeo, Cow Palace Fair Board of Directors. Chan has been an external affairs director for AT&T since 2015. He was director of external affairs in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office from 2012 to 2015, an external affairs manager for AT&T from 2011 to 2012 and political director for the Ed Lee for Mayor campaign in 2011. Chan was special assistant to the chief operating officer at the San Francisco International Airport from 2010 to 2011 and director of appointments in the San Francisco Mayor’s Office from 2007 to 2010. He is a member of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and the Asian Pacific Democratic Club. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Chan is a Democrat.
Albert Barreno, 54, of Sonora, has been appointed to the 29th District Agricultural Association, Mother Lode Fair Board of Directors. Barreno has been owner at Barreno Enterprises LLC since 2013. He is a member of the Friends of the Mother Lode Fairgrounds Board of Directors. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Barreno is a Republican.
Michelle “Micki” Rucker, 63, of Twain Harte, has been appointed to the 29th District Agricultural Association, Mother Lode Fair Board of Directors. Rucker has been owner at the Funky Junk Consignment Shop since 2011. She is vice president of the Mi-Wuk Sugar Pine Fire Protection District and a member of the Sonora Chamber of Commerce and the Sonora Downtown Merchants Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Rucker is a Republican.