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

Lauren Zeise, 62, of Berkeley, has been appointed director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at the California Environmental Protection Agency, where she has been acting director since 2015 and has served in  several positions since 1991, including deputy director for scientific affairs and chief and acting chief of the Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Branch. Zeise served in several positions at the California Department of Public Health from 1989 to 1991, including acting chief of the Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment Section, chief of the Cancer Toxicology and Epidemiology Unit and staff toxicologist. She earned Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in environmental sciences and engineering from Harvard University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $163,500. Zeise is a Democrat.

M. Lisa Hayes, 55, of Bellflower, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council. Hayes has been associate vice president for managed long term support services at Molina Healthcare Inc. since 2015, where she was director of disability and senior access services from 2008 to 2015 and a manager for provider and contract support services from 2007 to 2008. She was senior project manager for network management contract operations at the UnitedHealthcare Company from 2006 to 2007, where she was a contract manager from 2002 to 2006 and a contract associate from 2000 to 2002. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hayes is a Democrat.

Lars Seifert, 42, of Imperial, has been appointed to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board. Seifert has been an environmental health services manager at the Imperial County Public Health Department since 2008, where he was an environmental health specialist from 2006 to 2008. He was a research assistant at the Boston University Center for Energy and Environmental Studies from 2003 to 2004. Seifert was an environmental health specialist at the Sutter County Department of Community Services from 2000 to 2002 and at the Pacific County Department of Community Development from 1996 to 2000. He earned a Master of Arts degree in international relations and environmental policy from Boston University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Seifert is a Democrat.