Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Appointments

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the following appointments:

Lee Andersen, Ph.D., 61, of Merced, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Since 2002, he has served as superintendent of schools for Merced County.  Andersen started with the Merced County Office of Education as a special education coordinator in 1978 and subsequently served as school principal at Schelby School from 1981 to 1984, special education principal/coordinator from 1984 to 1995 and special education department director from 1995 to 2000. He also served as assistant superintendent of schools for Merced County from 2000 to 2002. Prior to that, he served as an evaluation specialist for the Contra Costa County Office of Education from 1977 to 1978 and a school psychologist for the Orinda Union Elementary School District from 1973 to 1977. Andersen is the vice president of the Challenger Learning Center of the San Joaquin Valley Foundation. He is a former board member of Jobs for California Graduates, Merced City Planning Commission and Challenged Family Resource Center. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Andersen is a Democrat.

James Burgard, 72, of Monte Sereno, has been appointed to the State Board of Pharmacy. Since 1990, he has served as president of Environetics Engineering Incorporated. Previously, Burgard served as director of plant operations for Seagate Technology from 1987 to 1990. Prior to that, he served as director of corporate facilities for Synertek Corporation, which was later acquired by Honeywell, from 1978 to 1980. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Burgard is a Republican.

Carlos Bustamante, 42, of Santa Ana, has been appointed to the Fair Employment and Housing Commission.  He has worked for the county of Orange since 2000 and currently holds the position of assistant director of planning and development services. Bustamante previously served as senior project manager for the county executive office from 2003 to 2005 and a human resources manager from 2000 to 2003. Additionally, he has served on the Santa Ana City Council since 2004. In this position, Bustamante previously served on the Redevelopment and Housing Commission for Santa Ana. He was a territory marketing sales manager for Forest Pharmaceuticals Incorporated in 2000 and a Southern California marketing manager for National Starch and Chemical from 1998 to 2000. Prior to that, Bustamante worked in California State government from 1993 to 1998 and held the positions of investigator II in the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control; deputy registrar of contractors for the Contractors State Licensing Board; and business taxes representative for the Board of Equalization. Bustamante is a founder of the Santa Ana Business Bank and also serves as director. He is a member of the Board for the Santa Ana Western Medical Center. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem.  Bustamante is a Republican.

Eric Christoffersen, 39, of Sacramento, has been appointed special assistant inspector general for the Bureau of Independent Review in the Office of the Inspector General. Since 1997, he has served as a deputy attorney general for the California Attorney General's Office. Christoffersen previously was an instructor of law at MTI College in Sacramento from 2000 to 2006 and was a research fellow for the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation from 1996 to 1997. Prior to that, he was a membership coordinator for the California Association for Health Services at Home from 1991 to 1993. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,060. Christoffersen is a Republican.

Tina Dunlap, 50, of Cameron Park, has been appointed special assistant inspector general for the Bureau of Independent Review in the Office of the Inspector General. Since 2005, she has served as assistant chief counsel for the Department of Managed Health Care. From 2004 to 2005, Dunlap served as assistant chief council for the Department of Managed Health Care. Previously, she was staff counsel III for the Board of Prison Terms from 1994 to 2004 and a parole agent for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, formerly the Department of Corrections, from 1990 to 1994. Prior to that, Dunlap was a licensing program analyst II for the Department of Social Services from 1988 to 1990 and a youth counselor for the California Youth Authority from 1982 to 1988. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $122,424. Dunlap is a Republican.

Corwin Harper, 43, of Stockton, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Since 2005, he has served as senior vice president and area manager for the Kaiser Foundation Hospital & Health Plan in the Central Valley, which encompasses all of San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties. From 1996 to 2005, Harper worked at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Fresno, where he held the positions of senior vice president/area manager, medical group administrator and director of hospital operations. He previously served as vice president of professional services at the Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center in Chicago from 1994 to 1996. From 1990 to 1994, Harper worked for the U.S. Army Medical Department at Fort Sam Houston, TX where he held the positions of healthcare systems planner and student/administrative resident. Prior to that, he served as company commander for the Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, GA from 1987 to 1990. Harper serves on the executive committee of the Stanislaus Alliance and is a member of the Hospital Council of Central California, the San Joaquin Business Council and the National Association of Health Services Executives. He is an America College of Healthcare Executives fellow. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Harper is a Republican.

Kelly Huston, 37, of Modesto, has been appointed deputy director for communications for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.  He most recently served as vice president of corporate communications and marketing for PMZ Incorporated from 2005 to December 2007. Previously, Huston served as assistant deputy director for planning, research and emergency preparedness for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security in 2005. Prior to that, he served as a public information officer for the California Highway Patrol from 2004 to 2005. Huston was a legislative affairs and media relations manager for the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department from 2000 to 2004. Additionally, he served as a public information officer for the Modesto Police Department from 1994 to 2000. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,428. Huston is a Democrat.

Joe Panora, 51, of Folsom, has been appointed assistant secretary for enterprise information systems for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Since 2006, he has served as chief information officer for CDCR. From 2005 to 2006, Panora served as chief of technical services for CDCR. He previously was a data processing manager IV and chief information officer for the California Youth Authority from 2000 to 2005 and data processing manager III for the California State Controller's Office from 1997 to 2000. From 1991 to 1997, Panora was data processing manager I/II for the Employment Development Department. Prior to that, he worked for the Franchise Tax Board from 1988 to 1991, where he served as a telecommunications systems analyst II then telecommunications manager. Panora is a member of the California Association of IT Managers, the Microsoft Project Association and the Sacramento Chapter of the Project Management Institute. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $131,496. Panora is a Republican. 

Nathaniel Sterling, 61, of Palo Alto, has been appointed to the Commission on Uniform State Laws. He has served on the commission since February 2007. Sterling worked for the California Law Revision Commission from 1970 to 2006, where he held the positions of attorney and then executive secretary. Prior to that, he was a reference clerk for the Government Documents Library at the University of California, Berkeley from 1965 to 1967. Sterling is a former member of the University of California, Davis School of Law Alumni Board. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Sterling is a Democrat.

Norman Williams, 42, of Elk Grove, has been appointed deputy director for public affairs for the Department of Health Care Services. He most recently served as director of communications for the Office of Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi from January 2007 to September 2007. From 2003 to 2007, Williams served as assistant deputy commissioner for the Department of Insurance. He previously worked for the California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency from 2000 to 2003, where he served as assistant secretary for marketing and communications. Prior to that, Williams was communications director for the California Technology and Manufacturing Association in 1999 and a reporter and copy editor for the Sacramento Bee from 1991 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $106,000.  Williams is a Democrat.