SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Scott Wu, 52, of San Francisco, has been appointed executive director of the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank. Wu was partner at Omidyar Network from 2016 to 2019. He was a White House presidential innovation fellow and advisor to the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2013 to 2015. Wu was head of corporate development at Upstart Network from 2012 to 2013, co-founder and managing director at Blue Horizon Equity from 2007 to 2011, and co-founder and general partner at FTV Capital from 1998 to 2003. Wu is a board member of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, MFX Currency Risk Solutions and Callisto. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $183,348. Wu is a Democrat.
Esther Morales, 45, of Brooklyn, NY, has been appointed deputy director at the Office of Small Business Advocate. Morales has been an independent consultant since 2018. She was executive director at the National Women’s Business Council at the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2016 to 2017. Morales was White House liaison at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2014 to 2016. She was associate director of policy in the Office of the First Lady of the United States from 2013 to 2014. Morales was intergovernmental affairs advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy from 2011 to 2013. She was a special assistant at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2009 to 2011. Morales held several positions with Obama for America ’08 from 2007 to 2008, including organizer, regional field director and deputy field director. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $142,008. Morales is Democrat.
Alejandro Espinoza, 38, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary for legislation at the California State Transportation Agency. Espinoza has served as legislative representative at the California Department of Education since 2012. He held several positions in the Office of Assemblymember Warren T. Furutani from 2009 to 2012, including legislative director and legislative aide. Espinoza earned a Master of Arts degree in political science from Texas A&M University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $141,000. Espinoza is a Democrat.
Nanci Nishimura, 66, of San Mateo, has been appointed to the Commission on Uniform State Laws. Nishimura has been a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP since 2002. She was an associate at the Rossbacher Firm from 1990 to 2002. Nishimura was a legislative analyst for U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye on the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs in 1988. She was a law clerk at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation in 1988 and at the U.S. International Trade Commission in 1987. She was an associate at Barton Myers Associates from 1984 to 1986. Nishimura was a construction coordinator at Gruen Associates from 1980 to 1984. She was a marketing consultant at Global Link International Business Liaison Inc. from 1979 to 1980. Nishimura is a member of California Women Lawyers, Consumer Attorneys of California, San Mateo County Bar Association and the San Mateo Rotary Club. She is a commissioner at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and a trustee of the Asian Art Museum Foundation. Nishimura is a trustee of the California Science Center Foundation. She is a founding member and current co-chair of the Leaders Forum and a member of the California Commission on Judicial Performance. She earned a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the University of Southern California and a Juris Doctor degree from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Nishimura is a Democrat.
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