SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Diana Toche, 53, of Folsom, has been reappointed undersecretary of health care services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where she has served since 2014. Toche was statewide dental director at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2014 and also served as acting undersecretary of administration from 2013 to 2014 and acting director of the Division of Health Care Services from 2012 to 2013. Toche was dental director at Central Valley Indian Health Inc. from 1991 to 2008. She earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific. Toche was confirmed to this position in 2015. The compensation is $252,828. Toche is a Democrat.
Jennifer Shaffer, 51, of Roseville, has been reappointed executive officer at the Board of Parole Hearings, where she has served since 2011. Shaffer was chief of hearing operations for the Northern Region of the Board of Parole Hearings in 2011. She held several positions at the Office of the Inspector General from 2006 to 2011, including senior assistant to the inspector general and special assistant to the inspector general. Shaffer was assistant secretary of the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2004 to 2006. She was counsel and analyst at the California Performance Review in 2004 and staff counsel and deputy executive officer at the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board from 1997 to 2004. Shaffer was counsel for the California Assembly Committee on Public Safety in 1996. She was a graduate legal assistant in the Office of the California Attorney General from 1992 to 1995. Shaffer earned a Juris Doctor degree from Lincoln Law School. Shaffer was confirmed by the Senate to this position in 2012. The compensation is $187,392. Shaffer is registered without party preference.
Craig Tolmie, 50, of Prather, has been appointed chief deputy director at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He has served as assistant region chief at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, Southern Region since 2015, where he has held several positions, including forestry and fire protection administrator of management services from 2013 to 2015, deputy chief of management services from 2012 to 2013 and battalion chief, prefire management coordinator from 2004 to 2006. Tolmie served in several positions at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Fresno-Kings Unit, including division chief, Prefire, from 2010 to 2012, division chief, Eastern Operations-Miramonte Camp from 2009 to 2010, battalion chief for the Fire Prevention and Law Enforcement Bureau in 2009, battalion chief for the Shaver Lake Battalion from 2006 to 2008, battalion chief for the Emergency Command Center in 2006 and unit forester-vegetation management coordinator from 1999 to 2004. He was a consulting forester from 1996 to 1999 and business manager from 1997 to 1999 at Sierra Resources Consultants. Tolmie was a reserve police officer for the City of Lodi from 1988 to 1998. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $193,524. Tolmie is a Republican.
Nikka Tahan, 26, of Davis, has been appointed program manager for Listos California at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Tahan has been an external affairs specialist for California Volunteers, Office of the Governor since 2018. She was director of training for AMIGOS de las Americas, East Bay Chapter from 2013 to 2016 and in 2015, she was associate project director for AMIGOS de las Americas in the Dominican Republic. Tahan was fundraising manager for the Office of Institutional Advancement at Mills College from 2012 to 2015. Tahan earned a Master of Science degree in comparative public policy from the University of Edinburgh. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $75,000. Tahan is a Democrat.
Brenna Thompson, 29, of Westmoreland, NH, has been appointed program assistant for Listos California at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Thompson has been disaster support and development coordinator for AmeriCorps St. Louis since 2016. She was a wilderness trip leader for the Chewonki Foundation in 2016 and a pharmacy technician for Hannaford Bros. & Co. from 2013 to 2016. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $45,000. Thompson is a Democrat.
Eve Irvine, 56, of Rancho Palos Verdes, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission. Irvine has served as police chief for the City of Torrance since 2018. She was police chief for the City of Manhattan Beach from 2011 to 2017. Irvine held multiple positions at the City of Inglewood Police Department from 1982 to 2011, including captain, lieutenant, sergeant, detective, officer and civilian police cadet. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of La Verne. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Irvine is a Republican.
Geoffrey Long, 64, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, where he was served since 2016. Long was policy director in the Office of Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de Leon from 2014 to 2015. He was chief consultant to the California Assembly Appropriations Committee from 1996 to 2014. Long held several positions with the California Assembly Ways and Means Committee and Budget Committee from 1984 to 1995, including chief consultant, staff director and principal consultant. He earned a Master of Theology degree from St. John’s University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Long is a Democrat.
Walter Vasquez, 55, of El Cajon, has been reappointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, where he has served since 2016. Vasquez has served as police chief at the La Mesa Police Department since 2015. Vasquez held various positions at the San Diego Police Department from 1986 to 2005, including assistant chief, captain, lieutenant, sergeant and officer. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Vasquez is a Republican.
Charlton “Chuck” Bonham, 51, of Berkeley, has been reappointed to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, where he has served since 2011. Bonham has served as director at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife since 2011. He held multiple positions at Trout Unlimited from 2000 to 2011, including California director and senior attorney. Bonham was an instructor and trip leader for the Nantahala Outdoor Center from 1994 to 1997 and a small business development agent for the U.S. Peace Corps in Senegal from 1991 to 1993. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bonham is a Democrat.
Barbara Emley, 76, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, where she has served since 2011. Emley has been an office manager at the San Francisco Community Fishing Association since 2011. She was a commercial fisherman on the FV Autumn Gale from 1985 to 2011. Emley is a member of the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Emley is a Democrat.
Malcom “Brett” Gladstone, 62, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Architects Board. Gladstone has been a partner at Hanson Bridgett since 2013 and has specialized in real estate law during his 37 years as a California attorney. Gladstone is a Board member of the Tenderloin Museum in San Francisco. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Duke University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gladstone is a Democrat.
Sylvia Kwan, 65, of Kentfield, has been reappointed to the California Architects Board, where she has served since 2013. Kwan has been principal of DLR Group | Kwan Henmi since 2017. She founded Kwan Henmi Architecture and Planning Inc. in 1980 and was chairman from 2007 to 2017. She began her career as a junior designer at Gensler from 1978 to 1980. Kwan is a member of the American Institute of Architects, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the Bay Area Council and Lambda Alpha International. She earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kwan is a Democrat.
Ebony Lewis, 36, of Oakland, has been reappointed to the California Architects Board, where she has served since 2014. Lewis has been a senior consultant for Kaiser Permanente since 2017, where she has held several positions since 2005, including residency program administrator and allied health and physician recruiter. She is a member of the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Rosie the Riveter Trust, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network-San Francisco Bay Area and is a co-founder of the Black Los Angeles Young Democrats. Lewis earned an executive master of health care administration degree from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lewis is a Democrat.
Charles “Sonny” Ward, 43, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Architects Board. Ward has been principal architect at June Street Architecture Inc. since 2004. He serves on the board of National Center on Adoption and Permanency and on the Woodbury University School of Architecture’s Agency for Civic Engagement Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects. Ward earned a Master of Architecture degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ward is a Democrat.
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