Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Matthew D. Bender, 43, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Legislation at the Department of General Services, where he has served as Acting Deputy Director of Legislation since 2019. Bender served in several positions at the Department of General Services from 2004 to 2019, including Manager of Legislative Affairs, Food Acquisition Manager, Legislative Coordinator and Assistant Public Affairs Officer. He was a Metro Reporter at The Sun from 2000 to 2004. Bender was a Public Health Research Specialist at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1999 to 2000. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $127,008. Bender is registered without party preference.
Kurt T. Cooknick, 57, of Fair Oaks, has been reappointed Deputy to the State Architect at the Department of General Services, Division of the State Architect, where he has served in that position since 2017. Cooknick was Director of Regulatory Affairs at the American Institute of Architects, California Council from 1999 to 2017 and was Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs there from 1996 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $149,820. Cooknick is a Republican.
Brent Jamison, 46, of Rocklin, has been reappointed Deputy Director of the California Department of General Services Interagency Support Division, where he has served in that position since 2014. Jamison was Chief of the Department of General Services Office of Fleet and Asset Management from 2011 to 2014. He was Deputy Secretary of Policy and Planning at the California State and Consumer Services Agency from 2009 to 2010 and Assistant Deputy Director of Legislation at the California Department of Consumer Affairs in 2009. Jamison served in multiple positions at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research from 2004 to 2009, including Deputy Director of Legislation, Assistant Deputy Director and Senior Legislative Analyst. He was a Law Clerk at the Law Offices of Dan Brace in 2003 and at the U.S. Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division from 2001 to 2002. He 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 $155,004. Jamison is registered without party preference.
Jason Kenney, 36, of Roseville, has been reappointed Deputy Director of the Real Estate Services Division at the Department of General Services, where he has served in that position since 2018. Kenney held several positions at the Department of General Services from 2016 to 2018, including Assistant Deputy Director, Chief of the Project Management and Development Branch and Deputy Director of Strategic Planning. He was Chief of the Business Management Branch at the Department of State Hospitals from 2014 to 2015, where he was Chief of the Acquisitions and Business Services Office from 2013 to 2014. Kenney was Asset Management Manager at the California Department of Motor Vehicles from 2011 to 2013, where he was an Associate Governmental Program Analyst from 2010 to 2011 and a Staff Services Analyst from 2009 to 2010. He was a Staff Services Analyst at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2008 to 2009, where he was an Office Technician in 2008. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $185,268. Kenney is registered without party preference.
Zackery P. Morazzini, 48, of West Sacramento, has been reappointed Director of the Office of Administrative Hearings at the Department of General Services, where he has served in that position since 2015. Morazzini was General Counsel at the California Fair Political Practices Commission from 2011 to 2015. He served in several positions at the California Department of Justice from 2001 to 2011, including Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and Graduate Legal Scholar. Morazzini was an Attorney at Martinez and Kaminski from 2000 to 2001 and at the Pacific Legal Foundation from 1999 to 2000. He earned Master of Laws and Juris Doctor degrees from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $186,084. Morazzini is a Republican.
Angela Shell, 46, of Wheatland, has been reappointed Chief Procurement Officer at the Department of General Services, where she has served in that position since 2017. Shell served in several positions at the Department of Transportation from 1998 to 2017, including Division Chief and Chief Procurement Officer in the Division of Procurement and Contracts, Assistant Director of the Office of Business and Economic Opportunity, Chief of the Office of Construction Support, Labor Compliance Program Manager and Labor Compliance Program Analyst. She was an Office Technician at the California Department of Insurance from 1996 to 1998 and an Office Assistant at the Contractors State License Board from 1994 to 1996. She is a directorate member of the National Association of State Procurement Officials and board member of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $185,628. Shell is a Republican.
Brittany Allen, 29, of Oakland, has been appointed Data Strategist at the Office of Digital Innovation, where she has served as a Special Consultant, Performance Analyst since 2020. Allen was a Data Engineer at Compass in 2020. She held several instructional positions at General Assembly from 2019 to 2020, including on Python, Data Analytics and Data Science. Allen was a Data Engineering and Analytics Strategist at Palantir Technologies in 2019. She was a Data Analyst at Vox Media Inc. from 2016 to 2017. Allen is a member of Tech by Choice. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $144,564. Allen is a Democrat.
Rickey Ivie, 69, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Commission on Judicial Performance. Ivie is a Founding Member of Ivie McNeill Wyatt Purcell & Diggs, where he has been a Director since 1980. Ivie is a member of the John M. Langston Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of California, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, National Bar Association, Alliance for College Ready Education and UCLA Black Alumni Association. Ivie earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Ivie is a Democrat.
