SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Karla Nemeth, 47, of Sacramento, has been appointed director of the California Department of Water Resources. Nemeth has served as Governor Brown’s deputy secretary and senior advisor for water policy at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2014, where she was Bay Delta Conservation Plan project manager from 2009 to 2014. Nemeth was environmental and public affairs director at the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District from 2005 to 2009 and community affairs manager at Jones and Stokes from 2003 to 2005. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree in public administration from the University of Washington. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $194,600. Nemeth is a Democrat.
David Beier, 69, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy, where he has served since 2014. Beier has been managing director at Bay City Capital since 2013. He was senior vice president for global government affairs, communications and philanthropy at Amgen Inc. from 2003 to 2013 and a partner at Hogan and Hartson from 2001 to 2003. Beier served as chief domestic policy advisor in the Office of U.S. Vice President Al Gore from 1998 to 2000, vice president of government affairs and public policy at Genentech Inc. from 1989 to 1998 and counsel for the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary from 1979 to 1989. He is a member of the University of California, San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland Board of Directors. Beier earned a Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Beier is a Democrat.
Sean Varner, 51, of Riverside, has been reappointed to the Milton Marks “Little Hoover” Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy, where he has served since 2016. Varner has been managing partner at Varner and Brandt LLP since 2006, where he was a partner from 2001 to 2006 and an associate from 1997 to 2001. He was an associate at Ropers, Majeski, Kohn and Bentley from 1993 to 1997. Varner is director of the Monday Morning Group, chairman of the Community Foundation Serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties Board of Directors and secretary of the ExCITE Business Incubator and Accelerator Board of Directors. He is a member of the First Tee of the Inland Empire Board of Directors, University of California, Riverside Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, University of California, Riverside Highlander Athletics Association Board of Directors and the Young Presidents’ Organization, Pacific Gold Chapter. 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.
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