SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Christopher Calfee, 41, of Sacramento, has been appointed general counsel at the California Natural Resources Agency. Calfee has been senior counsel at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research since 2011. He was of counsel at Best Best and Krieger LLP from 2010 to 2011, where he was an associate attorney from 2004 to 2009. Calfee was special counsel at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2009 to 2010 and an associate attorney at Remy Moose Manley LLP from 2001 to 2004. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $155,232. Calfee is Democrat.
Dennis Mathisen, 50, of Roseville, has been appointed state fire marshal at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, where he has been chief of state fire training since 2016 and has served in several positions since 2012, including chief of public education and information officer. Mathisen was a part-time fire technology program instructor at Sierra College from 2012 to 2016. He was regional fire sprinkler specialist for the National Fire Protection Association in 2011 and served in several positions at the Roseville Fire Department from 1997 to 2011, including division chief and fire marshal. He held several positions at the American River Fire Protection District from 1985 to 1997, including fire inspector supervisor, acting fire marshal, fire inspector and draftsman. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $153,692. Mathisen is a Republican.
Gabrielle Meindl, 51, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director for legislation at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Meindl has been principal consultant for the California State Assembly Budget Committee since 2011. She was a policy analyst at Environmental Solutions Group LLC from 2009 to 2011, a public affairs contractor at Smith Moore and Associates Inc. from 2007 to 2009 and a legislative consultant in the Office of California State Senator Liz Figueroa from 1996 to 1998 and in the Office of California State Assemblymember Liz Figueroa in 1995. Meindl was a consultant for the California State Assembly Committee on Health from 1994 to 1995. She was a policy analyst at the Mountain Lion Foundation from 1993 to 1994, a legislative representative for Sierra Club California in 1993 and a legislative assistant in the Office of California State Assemblymember Lloyd Connelly from 1991 to 1992. Meindl was a regulatory specialist at Jellinek, Schwartz, Connolly and Freshman Inc. from 1990 to 1991 and a legislative aide in the Office of U.S. Congressman Mel Levine from 1989 to 1990. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $120,000. Meindl is a Democrat.
Andrew McAllister, 51, of Davis, has been reappointed to the California Energy Commission, where he has served since 2012. McAllister held several positions at the California Center for Sustainable Energy from 2005 to 2012, including managing director, director of policy and strategy, director of programs and binational program specialist. He was a project manager at Energy Solutions from 2000 to 2003 and an energy efficiency and renewable energy consultant at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association International Ltd. from 2004 to 2005 and from 1992 to 2000. McAllister was a research assistant at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Energy Analysis Program from 1991 to 1992. He served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer from 1987 to 1990. McAllister earned Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $142,095. McAllister is a Democrat.
Janice Roberts, 65, of Redding, has been reappointed to the California Employment Training Panel, where she has been vice chair since 2013 and has served as a member since 2006. Roberts held several positions at PepsiCo from 1996 to 2016, including economic development manager, Frito-Lay manufacturing department manager and supply chain productivity manager. She was California manufacturing department manager at Anheuser-Busch, Eagle Snacks from 1995 to 1996 and operations manufacturing manager at Sequoia Forest Industries from 1973 to 1995. She is a member of the Network of Executive Women. Roberts earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Brandman University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Roberts is a Republican.
Tracy LeSage, 47, of Rancho Santa Margarita, has been reappointed to the State Bar of California Attorney Diversion and Assistance Program Oversight Committee, where she has served since 2013. LeSage has served as senior assistant public defender in the Orange County Public Defender’s Office since 2016, where she has held several positions since 2000, including assistant public defender and deputy public defender. She was an attorney in private practice from 1999 to 2000, an attorney at Elder and Manning from 1998 to 1999 and an attorney at Blum and Roseman from 1996 to 1998. LeSage is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and the Orange County Thurgood Marshall Bar Association. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Western State University College of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. LeSage is a Democrat.
Ian Altman, 57, of Tiburon, has been reappointed to the California Actuarial Advisory Panel, where he has served since 2014. Altman has been a managing partner at Altman and Cronin Benefit Consultants, a division of AJ Gallagher, since 1996. He was a principal at William M. Mercer Inc. from 1980 to 1996. Altman is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries, Western Pension and Benefits Conference and the Society of Actuaries. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Altman is a Democrat.
John Bartel, 66, of San Mateo, has been reappointed to the California Actuarial Advisory Panel, where he has served since 2010. Bartel has been president at Bartel Associates since 2003. He was vice president at Aon Consulting from 1998 to 2003 and senior manager at KPMG Peat Marwick from 1990 to 1998. Bartel was a managing consultant at Foster Higgins from 1986 to 1990 and an actuary at Actuarial Consultants Inc. from 1985 to 1986. He was a consultant for Towers Perrin from 1977 to 1985 and an actuarial assistant at the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company from 1972 to 1977. Bartel is a fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and an associate at the Society of Actuaries. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bartel is a Democrat.
Pamela Winston Bertani, 53, of Fairfield, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Uniform State Laws, where she has served since 2007. Bertani has been principal at the Winston Bertani Law Group and a member of the Fairfield City Council since 2011. She was an attorney at the Costello Law Corporation from 2006 to 2010 and an associate attorney at Weintraub, Genshlea and Chediak Law Corporation from 2000 to 2006 and at Dillingham and Murphy from 1997 to 2000. Bertani was a technical analyst at Crosby, Heafey, Roach and May from 1995 to 1997, intellectual property prosecution and licensing legal intern at Bayer in 1994 and associate research immunologist at Miles Laboratories from 1988 to 1992. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Arizona State University College of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bertani is a Democrat.
David Clark, 67, of Lafayette, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Uniform State Laws, where he has served since 2008. Clark has been owner at Clark Solutions since 2015. He was a partner at Boerio, Clark and Associates from 2011 to 2015, where he was a consultant from 1998 to 2011. Clark was a consultant at Coopers and Lybrand from 1996 to 1998, senior advisor at Barents Group in 1997 and senior staff attorney at Mitretek Systems in 1996. He was an instructor at the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1995, an independent tax consultant from 1987 to 1994 and senior tax manager at Arthur Andersen and Company from 1977 to 1986. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Clark is a Democrat.
Danny Wan, 53, of Oakland, has been appointed to the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. Wan has been port attorney for the Port of Oakland since 2012, where he was a deputy port attorney from 2004 to 2008. He was the city attorney for the City of Morgan Hill from 2008 to 2012 and a member of the Oakland City Council from 2000 to 2004. Wan was an associate attorney at Foley and Lardner LLP from 1996 to 2000 and at Carroll, Burdick and McDonough LLP from 1993 to 1996. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Wan is a Democrat.