SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Lauren Sanchez, 31, of Oakland, has been appointed Senior Advisor for Climate in the Office of the Governor. Sanchez has served as Senior Advisor for the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate in the Biden-Harris Administration since 2021. She was Deputy Secretary for Climate Policy and Intergovernmental Relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency from 2019 to 2021 and International Policy Director at the California Air Resources Board from 2018 to 2019. Sanchez was a Climate Negotiator at the U.S. Department of State from 2015 to 2017, serving on the Paris Agreement negotiation team. Sanchez is a Fulbright Scholar and earned a Master of Science degree from Yale University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $162,060. Sanchez is a Democrat.
Pedro A. Galvao, 33, of Greenbrae, has been appointed Deputy Director for Legislation at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Galvao has been Policy Director at the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California since 2019, where he has held multiple positions since 2016, including Senior Policy Manager and Regional Planning and Policy Manager. He was a Regional Planner at the Association of Bay Area Governments from 2013 to 2016. He was a Budgeting and Policy Summer Analyst at the Office of San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim in 2012 and a Legislative and Policy Intern at the Office of San Francisco Supervisor David Chiu in 2011. Galvao was a Field Organizer at Jane Kim for Supervisor in 2010. He was Founder and Executive Director at El Proyecto Voz Latina from 2009 to 2010. Galvao is a housing policy board member of SPUR and a board member of TransForm. He earned a Master of Public Policy degree in social and urban policy from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $144,672. Galvao is not eligible to register to vote.
Tiena Johnson-Hall, 61, of Claremont, has been appointed Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency. Johnson-Hall has been Senior Vice President and Community Development Finance Manager at BBVA USA since 2014. She was Community Development Manager at Bank of the West in 2014. She was Senior Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager at US Bank from 2005 to 2013 and was Region Manager for Community Development at US Bank from 2003 to 2004. Johnson-Hall is a member of the Board of Directors for the California Housing Finance Agency and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Johnson-Hall earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Redlands. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250,200. Johnson-Hall is a Democrat.
James B. Damrell, 49, of Sacramento, has been appointed Associate Chief Counsel at the California Department of Real Estate. Damrell was Assistant Commissioner of Legislation and Regulations at the Department of Real Estate from 2020 to 2021. He was Vice President of Corporate Development at Peers & Co. from 2019 to 2020. He was Development Manager at Panattoni Development Company from 2017 to 2019. Damrell was a Consultant at the California Senate Office of Research from 2015 to 2016. He was a Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice from 2002 to 2003. Damrell was an Attorney at the California Department of Social Services from 2007 to 2015, at Greenberg Traurig LLP from 2003 to 2007, at Duane Morris LLP from 2000 to 2002 and at McInerney & Dillon PC from 1999 to 2000. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $134,496. Damrell is a Democrat.
Sonja Palladino, 38, of Sacramento, has been appointed Assistant Commissioner of Legislation and Regulations at the California Department of Real Estate. Palladino was Deputy Director of Legislation at the California Department of Housing and Community Development from 2018 to 2021. She served as Legislative Director in the Office of California State Assemblymember Todd Gloria from 2016 to 2017. She served as Capitol Director in the Office of California State Assemblymember Susan A. Bonilla in 2016, where she was Legislative Director from 2013 to 2016. Palladino was Senior Legislative Assistant in the Office of California State Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield from 2011 to 2012 and Legislative Assistant in the Office of California State Assemblymember Lori Saldaña in 2010. She was a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2008, a Legislative Assistant in the Office of California State Assemblymember Dave Jones from 2006 to 2008 and Assistant Director at Grassroots Campaigns in 2004. Palladino is a member of InterNations and the Sacramento Valley Concert Choir. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $134,496. Palladino is a Democrat.
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