SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Sharon Allen, 51, of Sacramento, has been reappointed Deputy Director of Sales and Marketing at the California State Lottery, where she has served in that position since 2017. Allen was an independent Marketing Consultant in 2016. She was Senior Vice President of Marketing Strategy at NBC Entertainment from 2011 to 2015. Allen held several positions at Showtime Networks Inc. from 1999 to 2011, including Senior Vice President, Vice President, Senior Director, Director and Manager. She was Account Executive at Bates USA Advertising from 1998 to 1999 and Account Manager at Grey Entertainment from 1997 to 1998. Allen was Account Executive at Anderson and Lembke from 1995 to 1997. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $170,940. Allen is a Democrat.
Nicholas Buchen, 48, of Rancho Cordova, has been reappointed Chief Financial Officer at the California State Lottery, where he’s served in that position since 2012. Buchen was Assistant Program Budget Manager at the California Department of Finance from 2008 to 2012. He was Assistant Director of Estimates and Population Development at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2008. Buchen worked at the California Department of Finance as a Principal Program Budget Analyst from 2004 to 2008 and a Finance Budget Analyst from 1999 to 2004. He was a Business System Analyst for California Federal Bank from 1996 to 1999. Buchen earned a Master of Science degree in accounting from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $169,704. Buchen is a Democrat.
Vincent M. Espinosa, 57, of Elk Grove, has been reappointed Chief Enterprise Risk Officer at the California State Lottery, where he has served in that position since 2017. Espinosa was Enterprise Risk and Evaluation Branch Chief at the California Department of Motor Vehicles from 2014 to 2017. He held several positions at the California Franchise Tax Board from 1992 to 2014, including Data Processing Manager, Senior Information Systems Supervisor, Staff Information Systems Analyst, Associate Information Systems Analyst, Associate Operations Specialist and Tax Program Assistant. Espinosa is a member of the Washington Outboard Club. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $148,524. Espinosa is registered without party preference.
Paula J. Negrete, 42, of West Sacramento, has been reappointed Deputy Director of Legislative and External Affairs at the California State Lottery, where she has held that position since 2012. Negrete held several positions in the Office of U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez from 2003 to 2012, including District Director, Communications Director and Deputy Communications Director. She served as Special Assistant in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 2002 to 2003. Negrete was Vice President of Program and Strategic Partnerships at the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce in 2002. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $125,664. Negrete is a Democrat.
Nicholas Avdis, 46, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Avdis has been Of Counsel at the Thomas Law Group since 2013. He was a Partner at the Law Offices of Lo Duca & Avdis LLP from 2008 to 2013, an Associate at the Law Offices of Sandberg & LoDuca LLP from 2004 to 2008 and Corporate Counsel at KT Development Corporation from 2003 to 2004. Avdis is a member of the Capitol Area Development Authority, Reclamation District 1000 and Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Avdis is a Democrat.
Sean Yang, 42, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Yang has been a Medical Imaging Specialist Engineer at Kaiser Permanente since 2016. He was a Medical Liaison at Open Advantage MRI in 2017, Medical Imaging Engineer at BC Technical from 2014 to 2016 and a Computerized Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Engineer at Consensys Imaging Service Inc. from 2011 to 2014. Yang was Manager and Owner of Weiberts Meats from 2005 to 2011 and Magnetic Resonance Engineer at Hitachi Medical Systems America from 2001 to 2011. Yang is a member of the board of the Elk Grove Unified School District and a member of the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Yang is a Democrat.
H. David Nahai, 68, of Los Angeles has been appointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Nahai has been President of David Nahai Consulting Services Inc. and Partner at Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard and Smith since 2010. He was General Manager and CEO of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power from 2007 to 2009, Vice President of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners from 2005 to 2006 and President of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners from 2006 to 2007. Nahai was a Partner at Nahai Law Corporation from 1992 to 2007, at Stroock & Stroock, & Lavan from 1986 to 1992 and at Memel, Jacobs, Ellsworth, Pierno and Gersh from 1982 to 1986. He was an Associate at Loeb and Loeb from 1979 to 1982. He is a member of the Los Angeles Business Council, California League of Conservation Voters and Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. He was a board member of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board from 1997 to 2007. Nahai earned a Master of Laws degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Nahai is a Democrat.
Michael Mendez, 43, of Long Beach, has been appointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. Mendez has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of California, Irvine since 2019. He was a Faculty Fellow and Associate Research Scientist at the Yale School of the Environment from 2016 to 2019 and a Postdoctoral Scholar and Lecturer at the University of San Francisco Department of Environmental Science from 2015 to 2016. Mendez was Legislative Director at the University of California, Office of the President from 2008 to 2010, Senior Government Affairs Advocate at Blue Shield of California from 2006 to 2008, and Senior Legislative Aide in the Office of California State Assemblymember Cindy Montañez from 2003 to 2006. He is a member of the National Academies of Sciences’ Board on Environmental Change and Society and the Alliance for a Better Community. Mendez earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in environmental planning from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Public Policy degree in environmental planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Mendez is a Democrat.
Sharlyne T. Palacio, 70, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board. Palacio has been a Sole Practitioner since 1984. She was a Personal Assistant to Commissioner Frank Brass of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board from 2015 to 2018 and Billing Administrator at Parente & Christopher from 1997 to 2015. Palacio was Office Manager and Hearing Representative at the Law Office of M. Francis Brass from 1991 to 1997. She was a Lobbyist at Hawaii State AFL-CIO from 1988 to 1990 and an Administrative Assistant to the Executive Officers at ILWU Local 142 from 1986 to 1988. She was an Associate at King, Nakamura & Chun Hoon from 1984 to 1986. Palacio was a Lecturer in the Criminal Justice Department at Chaminade University of Honolulu from 1981 to 1983. She was an Administrative Assistant to the House Minority Leader at the Hawaii State Legislature House of Representatives from 1981 to 1982. Palacio was Executive Director at Life of the Land, U.S. Vista Program from 1980 to 1981. She is a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and U.S. Judo Federation. Palacio earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $25,500. Palacio is a Democrat.
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