SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Brian Ferguson, 36, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director for crisis communication and public affairs at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Ferguson has been deputy director of media and public affairs in the Office of Governor Newsom since 2019. He served as deputy press secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2017 to 2019 and deputy director of public affairs at the California Department of General Services from 2013 to 2017. Ferguson was a communications specialist for the California Faculty Association from 2006 to 2013. He was a contributing writer for the Syracuse Post-Standard in 2006 and a writer for the Marin Independent Journal from 2004 to 2005. Ferguson earned a Master of Arts degree in magazine, newspaper and online journalism from Syracuse University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $156,720. Ferguson is a Democrat.
Vicky Waters, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of media and public affairs in the Office of Governor Newsom. Waters has served as press secretary at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2016. She was vice president of public affairs at Ogilvy Public Relations from 2015 to 2016 and served as deputy director of public affairs at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2012 to 2015. Waters was director of media relations at the California Charter Schools Association from 2009 to 2012 and an account executive at BPcubed Inc. from 2007 to 2009. She was a freelance journalist, independent public relations consultant and translator from 2003 to 2009. Waters was Sacramento correspondent at La Opinión from 2001 to 2003, an anchor, reporter and producer at Univision Sacramento from 2000 to 2001, evening anchor, reporter and producer at Univision Corpus Christi from 1998 to 2000 and news editor and broadcast operator at WRAL-TV from 1996 to 1998. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $139,728. Waters is a Democrat.
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