SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Eric P. Swanson, 49, of Carmichael, has been appointed Deputy Director of Finance and Administration at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Swanson has been Deputy Director of the Office of Fiscal Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2018, where he was Associate Director of the Budget Management Branch from 2016 to 2018, He held several positions at the Assembly Minority Office of Policy and Budget from 2008 to 2016, including Deputy Director of Budget and Principal Consultant. Swanson was a Principal Program Budget Analyst at the Department of Finance from 2006 to 2008. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $171,852. Swanson is registered without party preference.
Thelton Henderson, 87, of Berkeley, has been appointed to the Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code. Henderson has been Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley since 2017. Henderson served as a U.S. District Court Judge at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California from 1980 to 2017. He was Assistant Dean at Stanford Law School from 1968 to 1976 and a Professor at Golden Gate Law School from 1977 to 1980. Henderson was Director of the East Bayshore Neighborhood Legal Center from 1966 to 1968. Henderson was a Corporal in the U.S. Army, serving as a Clinical Psychology Technician from 1956 to 1958. He 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 $100 per diem. Henderson is a Democrat.
Craig R. Cooning, 70, of Rancho Palos Verdes, has been appointed to the Governor’s Military Council. Cooning was President of Network and Space Systems at Boeing Defense, Space and Security from 2014 to 2016. He was Vice President and General Manager at Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems from 2005 to 2014. Cooning served in the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 2005, reaching the rank of Major General. He earned a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Alabama. Cooning is an Associate Fellow at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was a member of the Draper Labs Board of Directors, Aquarium of the Pacific and the President Advisory Group at the Palos Verdes Conservancy. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Cooning is a Republican.
Andrew Hackleman, 43, of Atascadero, has been appointed to the Governor’s Military Council. Hackleman has been Assistant City Manager for the City of Santa Maria since 2021. He was Chief Operations Officer at Reach Central Coast from 2019 to 2021. Hackleman was Executive Director for the Home Builders Association from 2017 to 2019. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1996 to 2017, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Hackleman earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Science degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Hackleman is a member of the International City and County Management Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hackleman is registered without party preference.
Jeffrey A. Klein, 62, of San Diego, has been appointed to the Governor’s Military Council. Klein was Executive Director at the Department of the Navy, Commander Naval Surface Forces from 2008 to 2020. He was Director of C4ISR Installations and Logistics at the Department of Navy, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command from 2000 to 2008. Klein was Director of Specialty Engineering at the Department of Navy for the Naval Sea Systems Command from 1999 to 2000. He earned a Master of Science degree in Engineering from the Catholic University of America. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Klein is a Democrat.
Fred Meurer, 77, of Salinas, has been appointed to the Governor’s Military Council. Meurer has been an Independent Consultant to Booz Allen Hamilton at MBO Partners since 2008. He was an Independent Consultant at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy from 2013 to 2016. Meurer was City Manager for the City of Monterey from 1991 to 2013, where he was Director of Engineering and Maintenance from 1986 to 1991. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1986, reaching the rank of Colonel. Meurer earned Master of Science degrees in Civil Engineering, Construction and Water Resources from Stanford University. He is a member of the Military Officers Association of America, Society of American Military Engineers, Community Foundation of Monterey County, Monterey Bay Defense Alliance, International City and County Management Association, Association of Defense Communities, Association of the U.S. Army and the Association of the U.S. Air Force. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Meurer is a Democrat.
Margaret “Dee Dee” J. Myers, 60, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Governor’s Military Council. Myers has served as Senior Advisor and Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development since 2020. She was Executive Vice President of Worldwide Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for Warner Brothers from 2014 to 2020. Myers was Managing Director at the Glover Park Group from 2010 to 2014. She was Editor of Vanity Fair from 1995 to 2010. Myers was a Speaker at the Harry Walker Agency from 1995 to 2014. She was a Political Commentator and Analyst for ABC, CBS and NBC from 1995 to 2010. Myers was a Founding Consultant for The West Wing from 1998 to 2005. She was Co-Host at CNBC Equal Time from 1995 to 1997. Myers was Press Secretary for the Office of U.S. President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. She is a trustee of the National Museum of American History and a member of the Board of Directors for the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles and Wynn Resorts, International. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Myers is a Democrat.
Roberta Santiago, 65, of Castro Valley, has been appointed to the Governor’s Military Council. Santiago held several positions at the U.S. Coast Guard from 1998 to 2019, including Supervisory Management Analyst and Reserve Forces Branch Chief for the Pacific Area AOR. She held several positions in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1975 to 1999, including First Sergeant and Command Sergeant Major. Santiago is a member of the Association of the U.S. Army, Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc., U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association and the National Museum of the U.S. Army – Army Historical Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Santiago is registered without party preference.
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