Governor Newsom announces appointments 7.18.24

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
 
Marc LeForestier, of Sacramento, has been appointed General Counsel at the  Department of Cannabis Control. LeForestier has been General Counsel at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office since 2017. He was a Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the Government Law Section at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2013 to 2017 and served in several roles there from 2000 to 2013, including Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Director of Legislative Affairs and Deputy Attorney General. He is a member of the California State Bar, Public Law Section. LeForestier earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Toronto and a Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $204,996. LeForestier is registered without party preference.              
                 
Joshua Eisenberg, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Legal at the Department of Cannabis Control. Eisenberg has been Supervising Deputy Attorney General in the Cannabis Control Section at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General since 2022. He held several roles in the Licensing Section at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2016 to 2022, including Deputy Attorney General I, III and IV. Eisenberg was a Volunteer Attorney with the Sacramento County Office of the Public Defender in 2015. He was a Sole Practitioner from 2014 to 2016 and a Partner at the Law Offices of Gary L. Lieberman, LLP from 2011 to 2014. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Davis School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $198,852. Eisenberg is a Democrat.
 
Marty Greenstein, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Greenstein has been Assistant Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California State Transportation Agency since 2020. He held several roles at the California Department of Motor Vehicles from 2017 to 2020, including Information Officer II and Information Officer I. He was Copy Editor and Designer at GateHouse Ohio Media from 2013 to 2017. Greenstein was Copy Editor and Designer at The Stockton Record from 2006 to 2013. He was Copy Editor and Designer at the Sante Fe New Mexican from 2005 to 2006. Greenstein earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Spanish from Syracuse University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $139,056. Greenstein is registered without party preference.

Florence Bernal, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director of the California State Lottery. Bernal has served as Special Advisor to the Director of the California State Lottery since 2019. She was a Deputy Appointments Secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019. Bernal held several roles in the Office of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom from 2011 to 2018, including Chief Consultant and Consultant/Director of Constituent Affairs. She was a Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs at the California Department of Human Resources from 2013 to 2015. Bernal held several roles in the California State Legislature from 1999 to 2011, including Legislative Director and Legislative Aide. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $175,512. Bernal is a Democrat.
 
Erin Rodriguez, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs at the California Public Utilities Commission. Rodriguez has been Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs at the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery since 2022. She was a California Policy Advocate at the Union of Concerned Scientists from 2019 to 2022. Rodriguez was a Legislative Analyst at the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery in 2018. She was a Fellow at the New Leaders Council in 2019. Rodriguez held multiple roles in the California State Assembly from 2015 to 2018, including Legislative Aide to Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman and Legislative Aide to Assemblymember Henry Perea. She was a Political and Legislative Assistant at Blanning and Baker Associates in 2015. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Policy Management from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $155,760. Rodriguez is a Democrat. 
 
Jazmin Guajardo, of Santa Paula, has been appointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. Guajardo was Vice President of Associated Students Incorporated at California State University, Channel Islands from 2023 to 2024. She was a Peer Mentor with the California State University, Channel Islands Educational Opportunity Program from 2021 to 2024. Guajardo was a Certified Nursing Assistant with Coastal View Health Care Center from 2022 to 2023. She was a Senator of Student Engagement for Associated Students Incorporated at California State University, Channel Islands from 2021 to 2022. She is President of the California State University, Channel Islands Student Nurses’ Association, Founder and President of the California State University, Channel Islands League of United Latin American Citizens Collegiate Council, and a member of the Associated Students Incorporated Student Government Lobby Corps at California State University, Channel Islands. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Guajardo is a Democrat.