SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Pete Cervinka, 47, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief operating officer at the California Department of Social Services. Cervinka has been chief deputy director and program deputy director for benefits and services at the California Department of Social Services since 2009. Cervinka served in multiple positions at the California Health and Human Services Agency from 2007 to 2009, including assistant secretary in the Office of Program and Fiscal Affairs and assistant associate secretary in the Office of Legislation. He held multiple positions at the California Department of Finance, including assistant program budget manager from 2006 to 2007, principal program budget manager from 2003 to 2006 and finance budget analyst from 2002 to 2003 and from 1998 to 2000. Cervinka was a staff services manager at the State Water Resources Control Board from 2000 to 2002. He earned a Master of Science degree in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,300. Cervinka is a Democrat.
Kimberly Rutledge, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed program liaison for Adult Protective Services at the Adult Programs Division at the California Department of Social Services. Rutledge has been chief of the Adult Programs Policy and Quality Assurance Branch at the Department of Social Services since 2016. She was assistant legislative director for the United Domestic Workers of America Local 3930 from 2013 to 2016, where she was budget and policy analyst from 2012 to 2013. Rutledge was an independent policy consultant for the County Welfare Directors Association from 2011 to 2012. She is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and the American Association of University Women. Rutledge earned a Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $124,668. Rutledge is a Democrat.
Heather Hostler, 38, of Antelope, has been appointed director of the Office of Tribal Affairs at the California Department of Social Services, where she has served as director since 2017. Hostler was chief deputy for tribal affairs in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2012 to 2017. She was Native American liaison for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs in 2012, program manager for grants and scholarships for the Humboldt Area Foundation from 2007 to 2012 and executive administrator for the tribal chairman for the Hoopa Valley Tribe from 2005 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $104,400. Hostler is a Democrat.
Marcela M. Ruiz, 44, of Stockton, has been appointed director of the Office of Equity at the California Department of Social Services. Ruiz has been chief of the Immigration Branch, Family Engagement and Empowerment Division at the Department of Social Services since 2016. She was deputy director at California Rural Legal Assistance Inc. from 2013 to 2016, where she held several positions from 2006 to 2013, including regional director, directing attorney, staff attorney and a Berkeley Law Foundation fellow. She was a law clerk at the East Bay Community Law Center from 2004 to 2005, co-founder and board secretary at Casa Mexico from 2000 to 2003 and assistant director of organizing at the New York Hotel Trades Council from 1999 to 2003. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $164,580. Ruiz is a Democrat.
Scott Murray, 36, of Elk Grove, has been appointed deputy director of the Office of Public Affairs and Outreach at the California Department of Social Services. Murray has served as deputy secretary of communications at the California Health and Human Services Agency since 2017. He held several positions at the California Health and Human Services Agency from 2007 to 2017, including associate secretary of media relations, information officer and assistant information officer. Murray was a student assistant at the California Department of Health Services from 2003 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $135,000. Murray is registered without party preference.
Victor Duron, 37, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director for the Independent Living and Community Access Division at the California Department of Rehabilitation. Duron has served as acting deputy director at the Department of Rehabilitation since 2019. He was an executive advisor to the Department of Rehabilitation from 2018 to 2019. Duron was a staff services manager for the independent living, assistive technology and traumatic brain injury programs at the Department of Rehabilitation from 2016 to 2018. He was a staff services manager for the Planning Unit at the Department of Rehabilitation from 2015 to 2016, a coordinator for California Women, Infants and Children Program from 2013 to 2015, and a compliance monitor for the Department of Community Services and Development from 2012 to 2013. Duron was a program specialist for the Santa Clara County Office of Education from 2009 to 2012. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $121,044. Duron is a Democrat.
Josefina Ramirez Notsinneh, 38, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of the Office of Legislation and Communications at the California Department of Rehabilitation. Notsinneh has been a senior associate of government relations at Children Now since 2016. She was senior legislative consultant in the Office of Assemblymember David Chiu from 2015 to 2016, account director at Ogilvy Public Relations from 2011 to 2015 and capitol director and senior consultant for the Office of Assemblymember V. Manuel Perez from 2010 to 2011. Notsinneh was legislative director in the Office of Assistant Majority Leader Paul Krekorian from 2008 to 2010, consultant for the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions in 2008, and associate consultant for the Office of Assemblymember Paul Krekorian from 2007 to 2008. She was a legislative aide in the Office of Assemblymember Jackie Goldberg from 2003 to 2006, where she served as a Jesse M. Unruh Assembly fellow from 2003 to 2004. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $115,512. Notsinneh is a Democrat.
Michael Thomas, 59, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant deputy director of the Specialized Services Division at the California Department of Rehabilitation. Thomas has been a senior legal advocate for the Client Assistance Program at Disability Rights California since 2008, where he was a coordinator from 2003 to 2008, and has been a social security specialist at Thomas Advocacy Consultants since 1999. He was a housing advocate for the Center for Independent Living from 2002 to 2003, senior benefits specialist for the Houston Center for Independent Living from 2000 to 2003 and a social security benefits counselor for the Center for Independent Living from 1997 to 1998. Thomas earned a Master of Arts degree in international and intercultural communications from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $95,532. Thomas is a Democrat.
Guillermo Viera Rosa, 45, of Sacramento has been appointed undersecretary of operations at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as director of the Division of Correctional Policy Research and Internal Oversight since 2018 and served in several positions from 2013 to 2018, including director of adult parole operations, southern regional parole administrator, associate director of parole and parole administrator. Viera Rosa was a deputy commissioner at the Board of Parole Hearings from 2007 to 2009. He held several positions at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2000 to 2007, including parole agent, supervisor, and correctional counselor. Viera Rosa served as a San Bernardino County probation officer from 1995 to 2000. He earned a Master of Arts degree in social science and leadership studies from Azusa Pacific University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $198,924. Viera Rosa is registered without party preference.
Hillary Iserman, 47, of Roseville, has been reappointed deputy superintendent of correctional education at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where she has served as deputy superintendent of correctional education since 2017. She was assistant chief of education at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2016, where she served in several positions from 2000 to 2016, including supervisor of correctional education programs, supervisor of academic instruction, and teacher. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $160,032. Iserman is a Republican.
Brantley Choate, 56, of Rocklin, has been reappointed director of the Division of Rehabilitative Programs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as director of the Division of Rehabilitative Programs since 2017. Choate was superintendent of correctional education at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2014 to 2017. He was director of inmate educational programs at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department from 2011 to 2014, director of adult education at the Sacramento City Unified School District from 2008 to 2011 and held multiple positions at the Hayward Adult School from 2007 to 2008, including principal and assistant principal. He founded the Golden Hills School in 1992, where he was principal from 1992 to 2003, and was owner of the El Dorado Tutorial Center from 1990 to 1993. Choate was an English as a second language teacher for the Liberty Union High School District from 1988 to 1990 and for the Brentwood Union School District from 1987 to 1991. He earned Doctor of Education and Master of Arts degrees in educational leadership from Saint Mary’s College. Choate was confirmed to this position by the Senate in 2018. The compensation is $172,560. Choate is a Republican.
Kevin Hoffman, 57, of Sacramento, has been reappointed deputy director of program operations in the Division of Rehabilitative Programs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as deputy director of program operations in the Division of Rehabilitative Programs since 2015. Hoffman was deputy executive director at the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission from 2011 to 2015, where he was mental health program supervisor in 2011. He held multiple positions at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in the Office of Substance Abuse and Treatment Services from 2001 to 2011, including staff services manager, associate governmental program analyst and staff services analyst. He was a youth correctional counselor at the Karl Holton Youth Correctional Facility in 2001, where he was a youth correctional officer from 2000 to 2001. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $160,032. Hoffman is a Democrat.
Ryan Souza, 36, of Sacramento, has been reappointed deputy director for program support at the Division of Rehabilitative Programs of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as deputy director for program support at the Division of Rehabilitative Programs since 2016. Souza served in several positions in the Budget Management Branch of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2013 to 2016 and in 2011 and 2009, including chief of budget field operations, assistant chief of technical operations, staff services manager, associate budget analyst and budget analyst. He was a medical contract analyst at Valley State Prison from 2009 to 2011. Souza earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Humphreys University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $160,032. Souza is a Democrat.
Shannon Swain, 55, of Danville, has been reappointed superintendent at the Office of Correctional Education at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where she has served as superintendent at the Office of Correctional Education since 2017 and was deputy superintendent from 2014 to 2017. Swain was a subject matter expert of correctional education at Synergy Correctional Technology Services from 2012 to 2014. She served in several positions at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parolee educational programs, operated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education, from 1989 to 2012, including principal, program manager, project coordinator and teacher. Swain was an assistant program manager at Orange County Youth and Family Services from 1984 to 1989. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $162,756. Swain is a Democrat.
Marysol de la Torre-Escobedo, 41, of Chico, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, where she has served since 2015. De la Torre-Escobedo has served as a lecturer in the School of Education at California State University, Chico since 2018 and has been a teacher at te Inspire School of Arts and Sciences since 2010. De la Torre-Escobedo was a teacher at Pleasant Valley High School from 2007 to 2010 and at East Palo Alto Academy from 2003 to 2006. De la Torre-Escobedo earned a Master of Arts degree in education and teaching from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. De la Torre-Escobedo is a Democrat.
George Pla, 70, of Newport Beach, has been appointed to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. Pla is president and chief executive officer of the Cordoba Corporation, which he founded in 1983. He was chief deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development from 1978 to 1979. Pla is a member of the Southern California Leadership Council, Stanford University Construction Institute and the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy and Viterbi School of Engineering. Pla earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Pla is a Democrat.
###