SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Jeree Glasser-Hedrick, 43, of Sacramento, has been appointed director of business and governmental affairs at the California Housing Finance Agency. Glasser-Hedrick served as a deputy treasurer at the State Treasurer’s Office from 2017 to 2018. She was executive director at the State Treasurer’s Office, California Debt Limit Allocation Committee from 2015 to 2017 and principal at JLG Consulting from 2013 to 2015. She served in several positions at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency from 2002 to 2013, including program manager, senior housing finance analyst and management analyst. Glasser-Hedrick was finance analyst at USA Properties Fund in 2007, presidential management fellow at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2000 to 2002 and public policy and planning analyst at the Southern California Association of Governments from 1999 to 2000. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Glasser-Hedrick earned a Master of Arts degree in urban planning from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $147,672. Glasser-Hedrick is a Democrat.
Rodger E. Butler, 37, of Sacramento, has been appointed associate secretary of media relations at the California Health and Human Services Agency. Butler has been acting deputy director of communications and planning at the California Department of Managed Health Care since 2018, where he has held several positions since 2007, including senior information officer and associate governmental program analyst. He was a program technician at the California Employment Development Department in 2007 and a student assistant at the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services from 2006 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $94,272. Butler is registered without party preference.
Sandra L. Lyon, 56, of Palm Desert, has been appointed to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. Lyon has been superintendent of the Palm Springs Unified School District since 2016. She was superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District from 2011 to 2016, chief leadership officer for the Palmdale School District from 2009 to 2011, superintendent and principal at Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes School District from 2006 to 2009 and a consultant at Thinking Maps Inc. from 2004 to 2006. She served in several positions for the Lancaster School District from 1988 to 2004, including director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, principal, assistant principal, coordinator, at-risk teacher and language arts teacher. Lyon was an English teacher for the Antelope Valley Union High School District from 1991 to 1992 and in 1988. She was a public affairs representative for the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center at Mount Zion from 1986 to 1987. Lyon held several positions at Time Magazine from 1984 to 1986, including picture researcher, reporter and office manager. She is a member of the Desert Roundtable, Association of California School Administrators, One Future Coachella Valley, Suburban School Superintendents and the Southern California Superintendents Association. Lyon earned a Doctor of Education degree in organizational change and leadership from the University of Southern California and a Master of Arts degree in education from California State University, Bakersfield. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lyon is a Democrat.
Gwendolyn Cross, 71, of Moreno Valley, has been reappointed to the California Private Security Disciplinary Review Committee, South, where she has served since 2013. Cross has been founder and chief executive officer at California Women 4 Women and the Cross Consulting Group since 2008. She served in several positions for the Los Angeles Unified School District from 1965 to 2002. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Cross is a Democrat.
Collin Wong, 59, of Orinda, has been reappointed to the California Private Security Disciplinary Review Committee, North, where he has served since 2013. Wong has been qualified manager, vice president and chief operating officer at Star Protection Agency and owner at Collin W. Wong Investigations since 2009. He was a labor compliance investigator for the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council from 2008 to 2009 and a police officer at the Oakland Police Department from 1982 to 2008. Wong is a member of the American Society for Industrial Security International, California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards, and Associates, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Wong is a Democrat.
Sandra I. Aldana, 47, of Newbury Park, has been reappointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2015. Aldana has been a self-employed educational consultant since 2013. She was a data collector at Westat from 2016 to 2018 and a technical assistant at JFA Avionics from 2010 to 2013. She was a graduate research assistant at the University of California, Santa Barbara Department of Education from 2005 to 2012, a graduate intern at the University of California Cooperative Extension Agricultural Water Quality Research and Education Program from 2006 to 2009 and a consultant and facilitator at the ALS Association’s Kern County Patient and Caregiver Support Group from 2005 to 2006. Aldana was an instructor of advanced Spanish grammar and beginning literature for the University of Kansas Department of Spanish and Portuguese and a development coordinator at the American Stroke Foundation in 2004. She was a graduate teaching and research assistant at the University of Kansas Department of Applied Behavioral Science from 2003 to 2004, a service coordinator at the North Los Angeles County Regional Center from 2001 to 2003 and a qualified mental retardation professional at the United Cerebral Palsy Chatsworth Campus from 2000 to 2001. Aldana was a pregnancy prevention program coordinator at the Vista Community Clinic from 1999 to 2000, a senior health educator for pregnancy prevention at the Northridge Hospital Medical Center from 1998 to 1999 and a staff intern at the World Health Organization in 1997. She was a women’s health graduate teaching assistant for the Department of Health Science at California State University, Northridge from 1995 to 1996, an intern at the Ventura County Department of Public Health from 1996 to 1997 and an AIDS educator for AIDS Care Inc. from 1990 to 1998. Aldana is a member of the American Educational Research Association, International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, California Association for Bilingual Education, American Association of University Women and the American Public Health Association. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in education from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master of Public Health degree in health education from California State University, Northridge. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Aldana is a Democrat.
Diane Ambrose, 67, of Santa Clarita, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Ambrose served as deputy director at the North Los Angeles County Regional Center from 2010 to 2017, where she held several positions from 1982 to 1998, including manager for the training and information department, manager of community affairs, area specialist, supervising counselor of the Children’s Unit and counselor of the Adult Unit. She was clinical counselor at the Catawba Center for Growth and Development from 1982 to 2009. Ambrose earned a Master of Education degree in special education from the University of South Carolina. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ambrose is a Democrat.
Stephen B. Bell, 56, of Shasta Lake, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Bell has served as chief and commander of the Northern Division at the California Highway Patrol since 2012, where he was assistant chief from 2007 to 2012 and a captain of the Dublin Area from 2002 to 2006. He is a member of the Special Needs Adventure Group and the North State Regional Advisory Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bell is a Democrat.
Matthew D. Lagrand, 40, of Bakersfield, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Lagrand was a worker at BARC Recycling in 2003. He is a member of the Kern Regional Center Board of Directors and the California Department of Developmental Disabilities, Consumer Advisory Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Legrand is a Republican.
David A. Pegos, 46, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Pegos has been special assistant in the Plant Division at the California Department of Food and Agriculture since 2011, where he has served in several positions since 2006, including deputy secretary for communications and external affairs, assistant secretary for public outreach and assistant secretary for legislation. He was director of advertising and promotions for the California Exposition and State Fair from 2005 to 2006, legislative consultant at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research from 2003 to 2005 and manager for appointments in the Office of the Governor in 2003. Pegos was legislative director in the Office of California State Senator K. Maurice Johannessen from 2000 to 2003 and in the Office of California State Assemblymember George R. House Jr. from 1994 to 2000. He is a member of the National Down Syndrome Congress, The ARC, Alta Regional Center, Down Syndrome Information Alliance, Cowan Fundamental Elementary School Site Council and the San Juan School District Community Advisory Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Pegos is a Republican.
Kimberly J. Risser, 43, of Rancho Cucamonga, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Risser was a hiring team consultant at Protection and Advocacy Inc. from 1998 to 2002. She was an advocate and service provider at Rolling Start Inc. from 1997 to 2002 and an office assistant at Express Realty from 1996 to 1997. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Risser is a Democrat.
Wesley Witherspoon, 45, of Inglewood, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Witherspoon has been project coordinator at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 1980. He is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Witherspoon is a Democrat.
Giancarlo Altamura, 29, of Napa, has been appointed to the 25th District Agricultural Association, Napa Town and Country Fair Board of Directors. Altamura has been an assistant winemaker at Altamura Vineyards and Winery since 2012. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Altamura is registered without party preference.
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