SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Kelly Pfeifer, 52, of San Francisco, has been appointed deputy director of mental health and substance use disorder services at the California Department of Health Care Services. Pfeifer has been director of high-value care at the California Health Care Foundation since 2014. She was chief medical officer of San Francisco Health Plan from 2008 to 2014, medical director at Petaluma Health Center from 2003 to 2008 and medical director for access at the Redwood Community Health Coalition from 2006 to 2008. She practiced as a family physician at Petaluma Health Center from 2000 to 2017. Pfeifer has been a volunteer physician at Planned Parenthood Great Plains since 2017. She completed family medicine training at the Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency Program in 2000. Pfeifer earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $170,004. Pfeifer is a Democrat.
Harjinder Shergill Chima, 45, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief deputy director of the California State Lottery. Chima served as assistant general counsel at the California Government Operations Agency from 2018 to 2019. She was an attorney at the California Department of Transportation from 2004 to 2018 and an associate at Rich, Fuidge, Morris & Iverson Inc. from 2002 to 2004 and at Reinecke & Daily in 2001. Chima earned a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier College School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $172,008. Chima is a Democrat.
Lauren Babb, 26, of Concord, has been appointed to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Babb has been public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Northern California since 2018. She was a consultant for TBWB Strategies from 2017 to 2018. Babb was lead organizer for UAW International in 2017 and a regional organizer for AFSCME International from 2015 to 2017. She is a member of the Contra Costa Commission for Women, the Economic Opportunity Council and the Contra Costa 2020 Census Complete Count Steering Committee. Babb earned a Master of Arts degree in political management from George Washington University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Babb is a Democrat.
Erica Courtney, 47, of Half Moon Bay, has been appointed to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Courtney has been chief executive officer of 2020vet Inc. since 2014 and has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since 2013. Courtney served in the U.S. Army on active duty as an aero scout pilot from 1997 to 2005 and as a military police officer from 1991 to 1994. She was chief executive officer of Courtney Consulting Solutions LLC from 2009 to 2014. Courtney is a board member of Women Impacting Public Policy and the National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses’ Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Florida International University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Courtney is a Democrat.
Noelle Bonner, 31, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California State Summer School for the Arts Board of Trustees. Bonner has been chief executive officer and principal at Bonner Communications since 2012. She was public relations director for TWELV Magazine in 2012 and a junior associate at Sitrick and Company from 2010 to 2011. Bonner is a member of the United Democratic Club Board. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bonner is a Democrat.
Julio Garnica, 25, of Blythe, has been appointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Garnica is registered without party preference.
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