Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:
Inez de Ocio, 38, of Visalia, has been reappointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council, where she has served since 2015. De Ocio has been a student services counselor at the California Department of Rehabilitation since 2018, where she was a senior vocational rehabilitation counselor from 2012 to 2018 and a job developer in 2004. She was a rehabilitation counselor at the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation from 2006 to 2011. De Ocio was a rehabilitation counselor member at the Nevada State Rehabilitation Council from 2008 to 2010 and a vocational consultant at Vocational Designs Inc. from 2004 to 2005. She earned a Master of Science degree in rehabilitation counseling from California State University, Fresno. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. De Ocio is a Democrat.
Michael Thomas, 58, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council, where he has served since 2015. Thomas has been a client assistance program advocate at Disability Rights California since 2008, where he has been coordinator and senior advocate since 2003. He has been social security specialist and a disability rights advocate at Thomas Advocacy Consultants since 1999. Thomas was a housing specialist for the Center for Independent Living from 2002 to 2003, where he was a benefits counselor from 1997 to 1998. He was a benefits specialist at the Houston Center for Independent Living from 2000 to 2002, a benefits and employment specialist for the Independent Living Resource Center from 1996 to 1997, an independent living specialist at the Memphis Center for Independent Living from 1994 to 1996 and an adjunct instructor at Shelby State Community College from 1995 to 1996. Thomas was a graduate student teacher at California State University, Sacramento from 1992 to 1994 and a camera operator and production assistant at the Louisiana State University Medical Center from 1984 to 1986. He earned a Master of Arts degree in international and intercultural communications from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Thomas is a Democrat.
LaQuita L. Wallace, 52, of West Sacramento, has been reappointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council, where she has served since 2015. Wallace has been equal employment opportunity specialist at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation since 2016, where she served as human resources specialist of outreach and diversity from 2013 to 2016 and human resources specialist of staffing and classification from 2011 to 2013. She was human resources specialist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from 2008 to 2011. Wallace was human resources specialist at the U.S. Geological Survey from 2004 to 2008, where she was a human resources assistant from 2002 to 2004. She was a program coordinator at Peregrine Systems Inc. from 2000 to 2001, contracts administrator at American Tower Corporation from 1999 to 2000 and project coordinator at Xoma from 1998 to 1999. Wallace was an administrative assistant at Remedy Intelligence Staffing in 1998. She held several positions at the Navy Public Works Center, San Francisco Bay from 1985 to 1997, including housing manager, housing management assistant, computer specialist, manpower personnel support clerk and personnel clerk. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Wallace is a Democrat.
Marcus Williams, 48, of Union City, has been reappointed to the California State Rehabilitation Council, where he has served since 2016. Williams has been military and disability talent strategy leader at Kaiser Permanente since 2015. He was director of recruiting at Phacil Inc. from 2009 to 2015 and a recruiter at MediaCross Inc. from 2008 to 2009. Williams served active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1988 to 2008. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in human resources management from Upper Iowa University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Williams is a Democrat.
