SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Raji Brar, of Bakersfield, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. Brar has been Owner and Chief Operations Officer of Countryside Corporation since 2003. She served on the Arvin City Council from 2006 to 2008. Brar was Executive Assistant at Clinica Sierra Vista from 2002 to 2003. She was a Chemist at BC Laboratories from 2000 to 2002. Brar is Co-Founder of the Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association. She is President of the CSU Bakersfield Foundation Board and is a member of the Kern County Hospital Authority Board, Kern High School District Education Foundation Board, KERO Channel 23 Community Advisory Board, and the Advisory Board of Kern Venture Group. Brar earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science degree in Health Care from California State University, Bakersfield. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brar is a Democrat.
Mark Ghilarducci, of El Dorado Hills, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. Ghilarducci served as Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services from 2013 to 2023, where he served as Deputy Director from 2000 to 2003. He was Secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency from 2012 to 2013. Ghilarducci was Partner and Managing Director at Diamante Partners LLC from 2011 to 2012. He was Vice President at Witt and Associates from 2003 to 2011. Ghilarducci was Federal Coordinating Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 1997 to 2000. He was Deputy Fire Chief and Director of Special Operations Branch for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services – Fire Rescue from 1988 to 1977. Ghilarducci earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ghilarducci is a Democrat.
John “Jack” McGrory, of San Diego, has been reappointed to the California State University Board of Trustees, where he has served since 2018. McGrory has been Chief Executive Officer of La Jolla MJ Management LLC since 2009. He was Manager at the Price Group from 2001 to 2009. McGrory was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Price Legacy Corporation from 2003 to 2004 and City Manager for the City of San Diego from 1991 to 1997. He served as an Infantry Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1971 to 1974. McGrory is Chairman of the Veterans Advisory Council at San Diego State University and Chairman of the San Diego State University School of Public Affairs. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics from Colgate University, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a Master of Public Administration degree from San Diego State University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. McGrory is a Democrat.
Joseph Eto, of Oakland, has been appointed to the California Independent System Operator Board of Governors. Eto has been a Staff Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 1982. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Eto earned a Master of Science degree in Energy and Resources from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $40,000, in addition to per diem meeting preparation and attendance costs. Eto is a Democrat.
Mark Burri, of Burlingame, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2022. Burri has been Business Manager, Financial Secretary, and Treasurer at Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union 467 since 2016. Burri is an executive board member of the San Mateo County Building & Construction Trades Council and the San Mateo County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management from California State University, Chico. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Burri is a Democrat.
Yvonne de la Pena, of Elk Grove, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where she has served since 2001. De la Pena has been Executive Director of the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee since 1990. She was Assistant to the President at California Professional Firefighters from 1986 to 1990. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. De la Pena is a Democrat.
Richard Harris, of Villa Park, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2007. Harris has been President of the Residential Contractors Association since 1987. He held multiple positions at Wesseln Construction Company from 1965 to 2008, including General Superintendent and Apprentice Carpenter. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Harris is a Republican.
Sheri Learmonth, of San Leandro, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where she has served since 2021. Learmonth has been Chief Executive Officer of Bay Point Control Inc. since 2018. She was West Coast Division Controller for Sabah International from 2006 to 2018. She was Controller of Bay Point Control Inc. from 2002 to 2006. Learmonth was Staff Accountant for Sabah International from 2001 to 2002 and Full Charge Bookkeeper for Pacific Erectors Inc. from 1992 to 2001. Learmonth is a member of the Bay Area SMACNA Women in Construction. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Learmonth is a Republican.
Louis Ontiveros, of Riverside, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2019. Ontiveros has been Director of Training at Southwest Carpenters Training Trust since 2017. He was a Team Lead and Executive Board Member of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters Local 944 from 2002 to 2017. Ontiveros was an Apprenticeship Instructor at Southwest Carpenters Training Trust from 1998 to 1999. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1985 to 1993. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ontiveros is a Democrat.
Jason Rafter, of Nicolaus, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2021. Rafter has been Ironworkers Apprenticeship Director for I.E.B.C. since 2021 and was Apprenticeship Coordinator there from 2008 to 2021. He is a member of the American Welding Society. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Rafter is a Democrat.
Paul Von Berg, of Newport Beach, has been reappointed to the California Apprenticeship Council, where he has served since 2011. Von Berg retired as Executive Vice President of Brutoco Engineering and Construction Inc., where he worked from 1992 to 2012. He was Director of West Coast Operations at Park Construction from 1987 to 1992. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Von Berg is registered without party preference.
Priscilla de Luna, of Rancho Murieta, has been appointed Administrative Assistant II at the Office of Tax Appeals. De Luna has been an Executive Assistant III at Kaiser Permanente since 2019. She held several positions at Sacramento Ear Nose and Throat from 2015 to 2019, including Human Resources and Executive Assistant. De Luna was a Production Assistant and Performer at e2k events x entertainment from 2011 to 2017. She was a Special Education Paraprofessional at the Elk Grove Unified School District from 2012 to 2015 and at Advance Kids from 2011 to 2013. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $76,908. De Luna is a Democrat.
Nicole Clavo, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Clavo has been Manager of the Office of Violence Prevention for the City of Sacramento since 2020. She was a Labor Relations Field Rep. Negotiator for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association from 2005 to 2020. Clavo earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Development from Springfield College. She earned a Doctor of Psychology degree in Organizational Development from Alliant International University. Clavo is a member of the National Crime Victim Law Institute, Voices for Victims and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Alternative Sentence Council. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $350 per diem. Clavo is a Democrat.
Robert Doyle, of Novato, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Doyle served on the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training from 2012 to 2022 and from 2006 to 2011. Doyle was Sheriff of Marin County from 1996 to 2022 and served in several positions at the Marin County Sheriff’s Department from 1969 to 1996, including Undersheriff, Captain, Lieutenant Sergeant, and Deputy Sheriff. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $350 per diem. Doyle is a Democrat.
Joyce E. Dudley, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Dudley was Chair of the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training from 2016 to 2022 and a member there from 2013 to 2022. Dudley served as District Attorney of Santa Barbara County from 2010 to 2022. She was a Deputy District Attorney in the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office from 1990 to 2010. She was Director of Child Development Programs at the Community Action Commission of the County of Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1988 and Child Development Director at the Children’s Home Society of California from 1979 to 1984. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Antioch University, a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Barbara College of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $350 per diem. Dudley is a Democrat.
Diego Cartagena, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California Access to Justice Commission, where he has served since 2021. Cartagena has been President and CEO of Bet Tzedek Legal Services since 2020, where he was Vice President of Legal Programs from 2017 to 2021 and Pro Bono Director from 2012 to 2017. Cartagena was Pro Bono Director at the Alliance for Children’s Rights from 2007 to 2012. He was a Family Law Attorney at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice from 2003 to 2007. Cartagena is a member of the California Access to Justice Legal Aid Funding Committee, Justice in Aging Board of Directors and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s Civil Council. Cartagena earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Literature and Culture from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Cartagena is a Democrat.
Crystal L. Miller-O’Brien, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California Access to Justice Commission, where she has served since 2021. Miller-O’Brien has been Of Counsel at Glaser Weil LLP since 2023. She has been a Panel Attorney for the California Office of Legislative Counsel’s Workplace Conduct Unit since 2019 and a Temporary Judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2016. She served on the California Law Revision Commission from 2011 to 2021. Miller-O’Brien was an Employee Relations Advisor for Intuit Inc. from 2021 to 2022, Advice & Litigation Counsel at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP from 2020 to 2021, Director of Employee Relations at University Medical Partners in 2020, and Labor and Employment Law Department Manager and General Counsel at Medical Management Consultants Inc./MMC-HR LLC from 2006 to 2020. Miller-O’Brien is a member of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Willamette University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology from Oberlin College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Miller-O’Brien is a Democrat.
Laura Lomeli, of Brea, has been appointed to the Sex Offender Management Board. Lomeli has been a Detective for the Anaheim Police Department since 2008 and has been assigned to Sexual Assault Detail since 2012. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lomeli is a Democrat.
Alexandra Hart, of Montague, has been appointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Board. Hart has been a Senior Appraiser with LandVest Real Estate since 2022. She was an Appraiser with Yosemite Farm Credit, ACA from 2015 to 2022. Hart has been a member of the Appraisal Institute since 2015 and a member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers since 2022. Hart earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and Food Marketing from the University of Kentucky. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Hart is registered without party preference.
Alex Rodriguez, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board. Rodriguez has been President of Diversity Consulting Group LLC since 1995. He is a member of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, La Cumbre Mutual Water Company and the U.S. EPA National Drinking Water Advisory Council. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from Antioch University Santa Barbara. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Rodriguez is a Democrat.
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