Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.

Danny Brown, 47, of Elk Grove, has been appointed deputy director of legislative affairs at the California Department of Human Resources. Brown has been chief of the Legislative Affairs Division at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System since 2010, where he served in several positions from 1998 to 2010, including assistant chief of the Legislative Affairs Division, supervising actuarial assistant, senior actuarial assistant and return to work coordinator. He was a workers’ compensation claims adjustor at the California State Compensation Insurance Fund from 1993 to 1998. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $120,000. Brown is registered without party preference.

Lynda Smallenberger, 62, of Ione, has been appointed to the California Domestic Violence Advisory Council, where she has served since 2009. Smallenberger has been executive director at the Kene Me-Wu Family Healing Center Inc. since 2000, where she was program coordinator from 1998 to 2000. She was an independent tribal gaming consultant from 1991 to 1997. Smallenberger is a member of the Violence Against Women Education Project, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and the Blue Shield of California’s Blue Shield Against Violence Strong Field Project Advisory Group. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Smallenberger is a Republican.

Christine Ward, 47, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Domestic Violence Advisory Council, where she has served since 2009. Ward has been executive director at the Crime Victims Assistance Network Foundation since 2011 and at the Crime Victims Action Alliance since 2004.  She was domestic violence victim response team coordinator at Womanspace Inc. from 2002 to 2006, community outreach director and shelter director at the Yolo Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center from 2000 to 2002 and volunteer coordinator at WEAVE Inc. from 1997 to 2000. Ward was a human resources manager at ORCO Construction Supply from 1996 to 1997, where she was a regional credit manager from 1989 to 1996. She is a member of the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board Advisory Council and president of Citizens for Law and Order. Ward earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ward is registered without party preference.