Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 3.29.19


SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Michael Wilkening, 48, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Special Advisor on Innovation and Digital Services in the Office of the Governor. Wilkening previously served as Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) and as Chair of Covered California for Governor Brown. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Wilkening was Undersecretary of CHHS for Governor Brown and Governor Schwarzenegger. He served in several positions at the California Department of Finance from 1995 to 2008, including program budget manager for the Health and Human Services Unit. Wilkening was executive sponsor of the California Health and Human Services Open Data Initiative and Agency Technology Governance Council. He earned a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $185,004. Wilkening is registered without party preference.

Patricia Moscoso, 29, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Speechwriter in the Office of the Governor. Moscoso previously served as Executive Speechwriter at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2017 to 2019. She served as Director of Speechwriting from 2016 to 2017 and as Special Assistant to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2014 to 2016. Moscoso was a Legislative Assistant in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs from 2011 to 2014. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $140,004. Moscoso is a Democrat.

Amanda Hansen, 39, of El Dorado Hills, has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Climate and Energy at the California Natural Resources Agency. Hansen was a director of the Community Reconstruction Program in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Office of Storm Recovery from 2013 to 2017. She was deputy associate director for policy outreach for the White House Council on Environmental Policy in 2012 and chief of staff to the chairman of the 2010-2011 round of United Nations climate change negotiations. She was special assistant to the Special Envoy for Climate Change at the U.S. Department of State in 2009 and a foreign affairs officer at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs from 2005 to 2009. Hansen earned a Master of Public Policy degree in environmental policy from the University of Maryland. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $150,000. Hansen is a Democrat.

Jessica Morse, 37, of Pollock Pines, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Forest Resources Management at the California Natural Resources Agency. Morse was a candidate for California’s 4th Congressional District in 2018. She was a budget analyst with the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2012 to 2015, a strategic policy advisor with the U.S. Pacific Command from 2010 to 2012, Iraq country coordinator for the U.S. Department of State from 2007 to 2008 and national capacity development coordinator for the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2005 to 2006. Morse earned a Master of Public Administration degree in national security and nuclear non-proliferation from Princeton University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $165,000. Morse is a Democrat.

Maria Gallegos Herrera, 36, of Visalia, has been reappointed to the California Water Commission, where she has served since 2015. Gallegos Herrera has been community development manager with Self-Help Enterprises since 2016, where she was a community development specialist from 2014 to 2016. She was a community advocacy director at the Community Water Center from 2008 to 2014 and an ag-aid inspector at the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 2004 to 2007. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gallegos Herrera is a Democrat.

Rue Mapp, 47, of Vallejo, has been reappointed to the State Park and Recreation Commission, where she has served since 2015. Mapp has been founder and chief executive officer of Outdoor Afro since 2009. She was a youth investment program officer at the Pacific Forest and Watershed Lands Stewardship Council from 2010 to 2012 and a communications manager at Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases from 2009 to 2010. Mapp was founder and general manager at It’s Your Move Games and Hobbies from 2003 to 2005 and held multiple positions at MSCI Barra from 1998 to 2006, including office administrator and data distribution analyst. She is a member of the board of the Outdoor Industry Association and was named a National Geographic fellow for 2019. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Mapp is a Democrat.

Kim Pattillo-Brownson, 44, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. Pattillo-Brownson has been Vice President for Policy and Strategy at First 5 Los Angeles since 2016. She was Managing Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Advancement Project from 2007 to 2016 and an education attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California from 2006 to 2007. Pattillo-Brownson eared a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Pattillo-Brownson is a Democrat.

Matt Navo, 48, of Clovis, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. Navo has served as director of systems transformation at the Center for Prevention and Early Intervention for WestED since 2018. He held multiple positions at the Sanger Unified School District from 1999 to 2018, including, superintendent, area administrator and director of pupil services and special education. Navo served as adjunct faculty at California State University, Fresno from 2010 to 2013. He earned a Master of Arts degree in special education from California State University, Fresno. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Navo is a Republican.

Brenna Pangelinan, 16, of Chula Vista, has been appointed to the State Board of Education. Pangelinan has been athletics commissioner for the Eastlake High School Associated Student Body since 2018. She was champions council member for the Nothing But Nets UN Foundation Campaign and team captain of the Eastlake High School Water Polo Team from 2017 to 2018. Pangelinan was student board member of the Sweetwater Union High School District in 2018. She is founder of the Eastlake High Mental Health Task Force. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Pangelinan is not registered to vote.

Brian Anderson, 55, of Carlsbad, has been reappointed to the State Mining and Geology Board, where he has served since 2014. Anderson has been principal geologist at Sespe Consulting Inc. since 2018. He held multiple positions at Vulcan Materials Company from 2002 to 2008, including vice president of property permitting and environment, director of environment, regulatory affairs and sustainable development, environmental affairs manager and area resources manager. Anderson held multiple positions at Brown and Caldwell Incorporated from 1994 to 2002, including program leader, operations manager and senior project manager. He is a registered professional geologist in the State of California and earned a Master of Science degree in geological sciences from the University of California, Riverside. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Anderson is a Republican.

###