Imperial Valley News

Sacramento, California - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the following appointments:

Geoffrey L. Baum, 45, of Pasadena, has been appointed to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors. Since 2001, he has served as the assistant dean for the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. Baum worked for C-SPAN as executive producer from 1999 to 2000 and as a senior producer from 1989 to 1993. From 1994 to 1999, he served as the assistant vice president of marketing and public relations at Claremont McKenna College. Baum was the acting senior editor for public radio’s Marketplace in 1994 and was an editorial assistant for the Army, Navy and Air Force Times from 1986 to 1987. He was a substitute English teacher for the Huntington Beach High School District in 1989. Baum is a member and past president of the Pasadena Area Community College District Governing Board and serves on the Armory Center for the Arts Board of Directors and Claremont McKenna Alumni Association Board of Directors. Additionally, he is a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Non-fiction Peer Group. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Baum is a Republican.

Derek Chernow, 39, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief deputy director for the Department of Conservation. Since 2007, he has served as chief of staff for California State Assemblymember Nicole Parra. From 2005 to 2006, Chernow served as communications director for the California Wild Heritage Campaign and, from 2004 to 2005, he was the executive director of Odyssey. Chernow worked as a senior account executive for PS Enterprises from 2003 to 2004 and served as deputy chief of staff for North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue from 2001 to 2003. From 1998 to 2000, he worked as a governmental affairs liaison from the Southern California Association of Governments and, from 1996 to 1998, Chernow worked as the executive director of Americans for a Safe Future. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $99,000. Chernow is registered decline-to-state.

David Clark, 59, of Lafayette, has been appointed to the Commission on Uniform State Laws. Since 1998, he has served as managing director for Boerio and Company, Certified Public Accountants. Clark served as a consultant at Coopers and Lybrand from 1996 to 1998 and was a senior advisor for Barents Group in 1997. In 1996, he worked as a senior staff attorney at Mitretek Systems, Incorporated and, in 1995, Clark was an instructor of law at the University of San Francisco School of Law in Cambodia. Prior to that, he was a self-employed tax consultant from 1987 to 1994, a senior tax manager at Arthur Andersen and Company from 1977 to 1986 and a field agent for the Internal Revenue Service from 1971 to 1974. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Clark is a Democrat.

Brian Connors, 45, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council. He has served on the council since 2006 where he currently serves as the vice chair. Connors has worked as a community program specialist for the Department of Developmental Services since 2008. Prior to that, he worked as an associate governmental program analyst for the Employment Development Department from 2005 to 2008. Additionally, he owned Main St. Online, a one-stop shopping website from 1999 to 2008. Connors was a marketing director for Fitness 101 from 1998 to 1999 and owner of Career Enterprises from 1993 to 1998. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Connors is registered decline-to-state.

Michael Darnell, 44, of Sutter, has been appointed to the State Board of Food and Agriculture. He has served as the California policy director for the American Farmland Trust since 2007. Prior to that, Darnell worked as the executive director for Middle Mountain Foundation from 2004 to 2007 and, as the sales and marketing manager for Sunsweet Growers, Incorporated from 1999 to 2004. From 1987 to 1999, he served as the financial and information services director for Pacific Grain Products. Darnell is a member of the Middle Mountain Foundation, the Great Valley Center and the Yuba Sutter Regional Arts Council. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural and managerial economics from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Darnell is a Republican.

Henry Forman, Ph.D., 61, of Fresno, has been appointed to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. He is a founding faculty member of the school of natural sciences at the University of California, Merced, where he has served as a professor of chemistry and biochemistry since 2003. From 1999 to 2003, Forman worked as a professor and was chair of the department of environmental health sciences at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Prior to that, he worked at the University of Southern California as a professor of molecular pharmacology and toxicology from 1992 to 1999 and worked in pediatrics, pathology and toxicology as a professor from 1989 to 1992 and as an associate professor of from 1986 to 1989. Forman worked at the University of Pennsylvania as an associate professor of physiology from 1982 to 1986 and was an assistant professor of physiology from 1978 to 1982. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Forman is a Democrat.

Thomas Gede, 60, of Davis, has been appointed to the University of California Hastings College of the Law Board of Directors. Since 2006, he has served as a principal with Bingham Consulting Group and as of counsel at Bingham McCutchen, LLP. Gede worked as the executive director for the Conference of Western Attorneys General from 2000 to 2006. He worked in the California Office of the Attorney General as a special assistant attorney general from 1991 to 2000 and as a deputy attorney general in the criminal division from 1987 to 1990. From 1983 to 1987, Gede served as a judicial attorney for the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District and, from 1981 to 1983, he owned his private practice. Gede earned his juris doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Gede is a Republican.

Timothy Gorsuch, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief deputy director for the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC). He has worked at the ABC in various positions including deputy division chief since 2006, acting assistant director of administration in 2007, legislative officer from 2004 to 2005, district administrator from 2001 to 2004, supervising investigator from 2000 to 2001 and investigator from 1993 to 2000. From 1988 to 1993, Gorsuch was a construction manager for the Department of Defense. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $107,280. Gorsuch is a Republican.

David Grant, 56, of El Dorado Hills, has been appointed assistant secretary of the Office of Internal Affairs (OIA) for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). He has worked for CDCR as interim assistant secretary of OIA since February 2008 and previously served as the chief of Headquarters Operations for OIA from 2006 to 2008. From 2003 to 2006, Grant worked as a special agent in charge for the CDCR and, from 2000 to 2003, he served as the senior deputy inspector general at the Office of the Inspector General. Grant worked as a sheriff’s sergeant and administrator in the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department from 1977 to 2000. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $127,644. Grant is a Republican.

Alison Greenwood, 46, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council. She has worked for the California Department of Education as a special education consultant to the superintendent of public instruction since 2008 and as a special education assistant from 2006 to 2008. From 2003 to 2006, Greenwood served as a community program specialist for the Department of Developmental Services and, in 2002, she worked as a service coordinator for Alta Regional Center. Greenwood worked at Valley Mountain Regional Center as a program manager from 1999 to 2000, senior service coordinator from 1996 to 1999 and service coordinator from 1994 to 1996. She earned a Masters degree in early childhood education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in child development and psychology from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Greenwood is a Republican.

Rex Hime, 60, of Loomis, has been appointed to the State Fair Leasing Authority Board of Directors. Since 1984, he has served as president and chief executive officer of California Business Properties Association. From 1983 to 1984, Hime was the senior assistant to Minority Caucus Chairman Bob Naylor of the California State Assembly and, from 1979 to 1983, he was the executive director of the Economic Development Commission. Hime is a member of the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors and the Reserve Officers Association of the United States. Additionally, he serves as the chair of the Sacramento Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Board of Trustees. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Hime is a Republican.

Scott Himelstein, 51, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Community College System Board of Governors. He has served as the director of the Center for Education Policy and Law at the University of San Diego since 2007. Himelstein also currently serves as president of the William D. Lynch Foundation for Children and previously held the same position from 1990 to 2005. Himelstein served as the deputy secretary and chief of staff for the Office of the Secretary of Education (OSE) from 2005 to 2007 and was acting secretary from 2006 to 2007. Prior to joining OSE, he served as chair and chief executive officer of the National Even Start Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Himelstein is a Republican.

Hadi Makarechian, 60, of Newport Beach, has been appointed to the University of California Board of Regents. Prior to his retirement in June 2008, he served as chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of Capital Pacific Holdings, Incorporated, a company he founded in 1991. Makarechian founded and served as president of Shamron Corporation of Maryland from 1982 to 1991 and Shamron Corporation from 1979 to 1982. He serves as chairman of Makar Properties Board of Directors and Banning Lewis Ranch Management Company Board of Directors. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Makarechian is a Republican.

Janine Montoya, 42, of Simi Valley, has been appointed too the Employment Training Panel. Since 1988, she has co-owned Valley Aire Heating and Air Conditioning and, since 2003, she has co-owned Tri County Heating, Air Conditioning and Fireplaces. From 1983 to 1988, Montoya worked as an administrative assistant for Simi Valley Fastening Systems. She is a member of the National Federation of Independent Business, National Association of Women Business Owners, National Association of Women in Construction and the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Montoya is a Republican.

Stephanie Murphy, 34, of La Mesa, has been appointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council. Since 2007, she has served as the regional director of education, development and community relations for Money Management International, also known as Consumer Credit Counseling Services. From 2001 to 2007, Murphy was the business service manager at San Diego Career Opportunities Partners and, in 2000, she worked as an employment recruiter at Staff Works. Murphy is a member of the San Diego Workforce Investment Board and the Employment and Community Options Board. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communicative disorders from San Diego State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Murphy is registered decline-to-state.

Kathleen Nakase, 61, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the State Fair Leasing Authority Board of Directors. Since 1994, she has worked as a managing consultant for the Centennial Farm Foundation. From 1988 to 1993, Nakase was the executive vice president of Mastertag West and, from 1982 to 1988, she owned and was president of NLC Plastic Graphics. Nakase served as the assistant director and marketing analyst for Southwest Regional Training Centers from 1980 to 1982. She is the executive director of the Orange County Farm Bureau and is a member of the Japanese American National Museum. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Nakase is a Democrat.

Giang Nguyen, 41, of Clovis, has been appointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council. She has served as the director of Fresno County’s Department of Behavioral Health since 2005. Nguyen worked for the Fresno County Department of Community Health where she served as the interim health director in 2005 and worked as the assistant director from 2004 to 2005. From 2002 to 2003, she was a clinical instructor of registered nursing students at California State University, Fresno. Nguyen earned a Masters degree in nursing leadership and management from Sonoma State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from California State University, Fresno. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Nguyen is a Republican.

John Peschong, 46, of Templeton, has been appointed to the California Mid State Fair Board of Directors (16th District Agricultural Association). Since 2005, he has served as a founding partner of Meridian Pacific, Incorporated. Previously, Peschong worked as the regional political director of the western states for the Republican National Committee from 1998 to 2005 and was the executive director for Campaign America from 1997 to 1998. From 1993 to 1997, he worked as the executive director and communications director for the California Republican Party and, in 1992, Peschong served as the communications director and press secretary for Bruce Herschensohn for U.S. Senate. He was a partner at Ein-Peschong Communications from 1989 to 1992 and was the associate director of media and broadcast relations for The White House from 1986 to 1989. Peschong is a member of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, the Paso Robles Children’s Museum, the San Luis Obispo County Lincoln Club Board of Directors, the Templeton Chamber of Commerce and the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Peschong is a Republican.

Carmen Puliafito, M.D., 57, of Pasadena, has been appointed to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee. Since 2007, he has served as the dean of medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and professor of ophthalmology and health management at the Doheny Eye Institute. Prior to that, Puliafito was the director of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and was the chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine from 2001 to 2007. He worked at Tufts University School of Medicine where he served as a professor of ophthalmology and health management from 1997 to 2001 and served as a professor and chair of the department of ophthalmology and an adjunct professor of electrical engineering and computer science from 1991 to 2001. From 1989 to 1991, Puliafito worked as an associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and was an associate professor in the health sciences technology division at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1987 to 1989, he served as an assistant professor in the health sciences technology division at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Previously, Puliafito worked for Harvard Medical School as an assistant professor of ophthalmology from 1986 to 1989, instructor in ophthalmology from 1984 to 1986 and as a clinical assistant in ophthalmology from 1983 to 1984. He is a member of the California Medical Association, American Association of Ophthalmology and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Puliafito is a Democrat.

Stephen Spernak, 54, of Lake Forest, has been appointed to the California Council on Criminal Justice. He has owned Spernak Campaign Management since 2003. Previously, Spernak served as district director for California State Assemblywoman Patricia Bates in 2002 and served as deputy district manager for the city of Rancho Santa Margarita in 2000. From 1997 to 2000, he was the executive assistant to Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer and, from 1982 to 1996, Spernak served as police corporal in the Cypress Police Department. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Spernak is a Republican.

Francisco Valle, 51, of San Diego, has been appointed to the Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. He has served as president and founder of Valle Consulting since 2002. Previously, Valle served as chairman and chief executive officer of SCDRG, Incorporated from 2000 to 2002 and was the regional vice president of operations for ARAMARK Corporation from 1998 to 2000. He worked at Taco Bell Corporation as the senior project manager of margin improvement from 1997 to 1998 and market manager from 1994 to 1997. Valle served as operations manager for ARCO-Four Corners Pipeline Company from 1992 to 1994, and he worked for British Petroleum Company as the west coast dispatch and terminal manager from 1989 to 1991. Valle is a member of Hispanic 100, National Society of Hispanic MBA’s and the YMCA of Orange County. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Valle is a Republican.

RaAnn Wood, 50, of Alta Loma, has been appointed deputy commissioner of the division of credit unions at the Department of Financial Institutions. Since 2004, she has served as president and chief executive officer of the California Center Credit Union. Prior to that, Wood worked as the professional networks manager for the California Credit Union League from 1997 to 2004. From 1993 to 1997, she was a mortgage loan compliance officer for Provident Savings Bank and, from 1986 to 1993, Wood was the assistant vice president of training and compliance for Heritage Thrift and Loan. She is a member of the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce and serves as vice president and small credit union advocate for the Mount Baldy Chapter of the California Credit Union League. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $99,000. Wood is a Republican.

Justice John Zebrowski, 59, of Glendale, has been appointed to the California Law Revision Commission. Since retiring from the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District in 1999, he has conducted an Alternative Dispute Resolution practice known as ADR, Incorporated. From 1995 to 1999, Zebrowski was an Associate Justice of the California Court of Appeal and, from 1982 to 1995, he served on the Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge. Zebrowski was the assistant secretary and assistant general counsel for USA Petroleum Corporation from 1981 to 1982. From 1975 to 1981, he practiced business litigation with the firms Baker and Hostetler, formerly known as McCutchen, Black, Verleger and Alschuler Grossman and Pines formerly known as Schwartz, Alschuler and Grossman. Zebrowski is listed on the Panel of Distinguished Neutrals and is a member of the BAJI Civil Jury instructions Committee. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in a multi-disciplinary program focusing on international affairs, economics and business from the University of Pennsylvania. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Zebrowski is a Republican.