SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
James Regan, of Roseville, has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Workforce Development at the Government Operations Agency. Regan has been Assistant Deputy Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information since 2021. He was a COVID-19 Emergency Response Program Director for the California Department of Public Health from 2020 to 2021. Regan held several positions at the California Department of Public Health from 2015 to 2021, including Acting Assistant Deputy Director for the Center for Health Statistics and Informatics, Special Project Director and Policy Advisor, Project Manager and Operational Policy Specialist, Legislative Liaison, and Program Analyst. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Merced. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $151,224. Regan is a Democrat.
Jennifer “Jaime Coffee” Newman, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Commissioner for Communications at the California Highway Patrol. Newman has been Communications and Outreach Manager for the Southern California Region at the California High-Speed Rail Authority since 2022. She served in several positions at the California Highway Patrol from 2005 to 2022, including Information Officer II and Information Officer I. She has been a Public Address Announcer since 2001 for numerous organizations, including the NCAA, PAC-12 Conference, Sacramento Republic FC, California State University, Sacramento, and the Sacramento Monarchs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University, Fresno. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $144,996. Newman is registered without party preference.
Tara Lynch, of Sacramento, has been reappointed Chief Counsel at the California Department of Parks and Recreation, where she has served since 2013. Lynch was Acting Chief Counsel at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2008 to 2013, where she was Senior Staff Counsel from 2006 to 2013 and Staff Counsel from 1999 to 2006. She was an Associate at Ellison and Schneider, Attorneys at Law from 1998 to 1999. Lynch earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $182,556. Lynch is a Democrat.
Jason MacCannell, of Sacramento, has been reappointed Research and Development Program Consultant to the Director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, where he has served since 2018. MacCannell has been a member of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names since 2022. He was Special Assistant for Research in the Office of Governor Brown from 2013 to 2018. MacCannell was jointly appointed as an Assistant Director with the California Research Bureau, California State Library from 2016 to 2018. He was a Research Director in the Office of Senator Henry Stern from 2018 to 2018 and Senior Research Associate in the Office of Governor Brown from 2011 to 2013. MacCannell was a Lecturer with the Program in Community and Regional Development at the University of California, Davis Department of Human Ecology from 2009 to 2011. He was a Consultant with the California Post-Secondary Education Commission from 2007 to 2010. MacCannell earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Geography from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $125,388. MacCannell is a Democrat.
Sedrick Mitchell, of Sacramento, has been reappointed Deputy Director of External Affairs at the California Department of Parks and Recreation, where he has served since 1999. Mitchell was District Director in the Office of Senator Patrick Johnston from 1996 to 1999. He was Senior Consultant for the California State Senate Appropriations Committee from 1994 to 1996. Mitchell was a Field Representative for the Office of State Assemblymember Patrick Johnston from 1985 to 1991. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $149,004. Mitchell is a Democrat.
Julianne Polanco, of Mill Valley, has been reappointed State Historic Preservation Officer at the California Department of Parks and Recreation, where she has served since 2015. Polanco served as Chair and Historian at the State Historical Resources Commission from 2005 to 2015. She was Director of Cultural Resources at Lend Lease Americas from 2006 to 2015. Polanco was Senior Preservation Specialist with The Presidio Trust from 1999 to 2006. She was Assistant to the Vice President for Programs at World Monuments Fund from1998 to 1999. Polanco was an Advisor to the Chairman of the Waste Management Board at the California Environmental Protection Agency from 1994 to 1996 and a Special Assistant there from 1996 to 1997. She was a District Representative for Congressman Robert T. Matsui from 1989 to 1990. Polanco earned a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from Columbia University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $159,060. Polanco is a Democrat.
Meghan Marshall, of Sacramento, has been appointed Executive Officer of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. Marshall was Director of Public Health at the Placer County Department of Health and Human Services from 2021 to 2023. She was Division Manager for the Sacramento County Department of Health Services from 2020 to 2021. Marshall was Planning Manager at the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance from 2015 to 2020. Marshall was Health and Nutrition Services Division Manager at Marin Head Start from 2013 to 2015 and a Program Manager for the County of Sacramento from 2007 to 2013. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from California State University, Sacramento, a Master of Public Health degree from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $155,040. Marshall is a Democrat.
Gloria Gregoria Guzman, of Pasadena, has been appointed to the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Guzman has been a Licensed Vocational Nurse at Kaiser Permanente since 1989. She earned an Associate of Arts degree from College of the Canyons and a licensed vocational nursing degree from Casa Loma College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Guzman is a Democrat.