SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Tad Egawa, 50, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief counsel at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Egawa has served as general counsel at the California Department of Housing and Community Development since 2015. He was assistant commissioner of legal affairs at the California Bureau of Real Estate from 2013 to 2015, a deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2009 to 2013 and a shareholder at McDonough, Holland and Allen PC in 2009, where he was of counsel in 2007 and 2008. Egawa was assistant general counsel at the Ryland Group Inc. from 2004 to 2007 and an associate at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler and Marmaro LLP from 1999 to 2004, at Tuttle and Taylor from 1998 to 1999 and at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton LLP from 1996 to 1997. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $178,092. Egawa is a Republican.
Shea Benton, 28, of San Diego, has been appointed senior business development specialist at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Benton has served as economic development manager at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation since 2015. He was a field representative in the Office of Congressman Scott Peters from 2013 to 2015 and a district representative in the Office of California State Assemblymember Nathan Fletcher from 2011 to 2012. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $90,000. Benton is registered without party preference.
Lynne Ashbeck, 62, of Clovis, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where she has served since 2010. Ashbeck has been senior vice president of community engagement and population wellness at Valley Children’s Healthcare since 2017 and has served in several positions at the Clovis City Council since 2001, including member and mayor. She was vice president of population health at Community Medical Centers from 2015 to 2017, regional vice president at the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California from 2006 to 2015 and public policy facilitator and mediator at the California State University, Sacramento Center for Collaborative Policy from 2003 to 2006. Ashbeck served as director of extension programs at Fresno State University from 2003 to 2006 and director of education at Valley Children’s Hospital from 1997 to 2003. She is a member of the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, Maddy Institute Board of Directors, Valley Public Radio Community Advisory Council, co-founder and chair of the Fresno Community Health Improvement Partnership and co-founder of the United Way of Fresno County Women’s Initiative. Ashbeck earned a Master of Arts degree in peacemaking and conflict resolution from Fresno Pacific University and a Master of Science degree in nutrition from Fresno State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ashbeck is a Republican.
Vito Chiesa, 52, of Hughson, has been appointed chair of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served as a member since 2012. Chiesa has been a member of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors since 2008 and manager at Chiesa Ranch Inc. since 1987. He is chairman of the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority and a member of the Stanislaus County Agricultural Advisory Board, California State Association of Counties Board of Directors and the Stanislaus County Fish and Wildlife Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Chiesa is a Republican.
Amarpreet Dhaliwal, 54, of San Joaquin, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served since 2015. Dhaliwal has served as mayor pro tem of the City of San Joaquin since 2016 and has held several other positions as a member of the City Council since 2000, including mayor. He has been president of Raj and Ruby Dhaliwal Inc. since 2014 and owner of D’s Mini Mart since 1991.This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dhaliwal is registered without party preference.
John Eisenhut, 71, of Turlock, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served since 2015. Eisenhut has been manager of grower relations at Hilltop Ranch Inc. since 1994 and owner of Eisenhut Farms since 1975. He is a member of the California Air Resources Board. Eisenhut earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Stanislaus and a Master of Arts degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Eisenhut is a Democrat.
Andrew Mendoza, 47, of Stockton, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served since 2015. Mendoza has been a community and government relations manager at Kaiser Permanente Central Valley Area’s Public Affairs Office since 2006. He served as a business and development manager at the City of San Jose Redevelopment Agency from 2000 to 2006 and chief of staff for San Jose City Council member Charlotte Powers from 1995 to 2000. Mendoza earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of San Francisco. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Mendoza is a Republican.
David Nelson, 63, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served since 2010. Nelson has been senior vice president at AG Spanos Companies since 2008. He was director of commercial real estate at Vulcan Inc. from 2007 to 2008. Nelson was senior vice president at Playa Capital Company from 2000 to 2007, where he was vice president from 1998 to 2000. He was senior development manager at the Walt Disney Company from 1989 to 1998. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Nelson is registered without party preference.
Patricia Poire, 59, of Bakersfield, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Poire has been corporate and public affairs at Grimmway Farms since 2008. She was special projects manager for the City Shafter from 2006 to 2008 and land project manager at Lennar Homes from 2002 to 2006. Poire is a member of the Kern County Farm Bureau, Kern Economic Development Corporation and Kern Council of Governments’ Regional Planning Advisory Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Poire is a Republican.
Charles Riojas, 52, of Fresno, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Riojas has been a business agent for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 100 since 1999. He is a member of the California Workforce Development Board. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Riojas is a Democrat.
Cherylee Wegman, 64, of Wasco, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Wegman has served as a community resource manager for the Kern Valley State Prison since 2006 and as a member of the Wasco City Council since 1998. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Wegman is a Democrat.
Jim Yovino, 61, of Fresno, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Yovino has been superintendent of schools at the Fresno County Office of Education since 2013, where he was a deputy superintendent of schools from 2006 to 2013. He held multiple positions at the Central Unified School District from 2000 to 2006, including assistant superintendent of human resources and director of personnel and secondary education. Yovino served as principal at Houghton-Kearney Elementary School from 1996 to 1998 and as an administrator at Washington Intermediate School from 1996 to 1998, where he was a teacher on special assignment from 1995 to 1996 and a physical education instructor from 1991 to 1995. He is a member of the Cradle to Career Board, Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame Board, Fresno Kremen Noted Alumni, Fresno State Health and Human Services Dean’s Council of Ambassadors, Halo Café Pet Food Pantry, Bonner Center for Character Education and Citizenship, Central Valley Higher Education Consortium, Fresno Rotary, Fresno Chamber of Commerce, El Concilio, Fresno Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Maddy Institute, Fresno State President’s Commission on Teacher Education, Central Valley Promise, the Foundation for the Fresno County Office of Education, Fresno Area Compact and the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Yovino is a Republican.