Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 1.12.22

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Eric L. Rood, 50, of Yuba City, has been reappointed Chief for the Division of Apprenticeship Standards at the California Department of Industrial Relations, where he has served since 2017. Rood held several positions at the Department’s Division of Labor Standards and Enforcement from 2000 to 2017, including Assistant Chief, Chief of Public Works, Regional Manager, Hearing Officer, Industrial Relations Representative and Deputy Labor Commissioner. He was a Business Tax Representative at the Sales and Use Tax Field Office for the California State Board of Equalization from 1994 to 2000. Rood was Tax Auditor Student Assistant at the Employment Development Department from 1993 to 1994. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $151,260. Rood is registered without party preference.

Eric O. Berg, 55, of Concord, has been reappointed Deputy Chief of Health in the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the California Department of Industrial Relations, where he has served since 2015. Berg held several positions in the Division of Occupational Safety and Health from 1997 to 2015, including Principal Safety Engineer, Acting Principal Safety Engineer, Senior Safety Engineer, Associate Safety Engineer, Associate Industrial Hygienist and Assistant Industrial Hygienist. He was an Occupational Health Specialist at the Santa Clara Center for Occupational Safety and Health from 1996 to 1997. Berg was a Student Assistant at the California Department of Public Health from 1994 to 1996. He was an Organizer at the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO from 1993 to 1994. Berg was a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1991 to 1993. He earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $179,832. Berg is a Democrat.

Debra Lee, 61, of Carson, has been reappointed Deputy Chief of Safety in the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the California Department of Industrial Relations, where she has served since 2015. She held several positions at the Department from 1994 to 2015, including Regional Manager, District Manager, Associate Industrial Hygienist and Assistant Industrial Hygienist. She was an Industrial Hygienist at Northrop Corporation from 1992 to 1994, at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources from 1990 to 1992, at Health Science Associates from 1987 to 1990 and at TRW Electronics from 1985 to 1987. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $181,968. Lee is a Democrat.

Carl S. Paganelli, 56, of San Francisco, has been appointed Deputy Chief of Consultation Services, Process Safety Management and Engineering Services for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the California Department of Industrial Relations, where he has served as Staff Counsel since 2016. Paganelli was Trial Counsel at Fidelity National Law Group from 2010 to 2015. He was an Attorney at the Law Office of Carl Paganelli in 2010. Paganelli was an Associate at Foley & Lardner LLP from 2007 to 2009 and a Law Clerk at Ellman Burke Hoffman & Johnson PC from 2006 to 2007. Paganelli was Chief Editor and Document Review Project Manager at Neil & Associates from 1989 to 2004. He was a Cook at Chez Panisse Restaurant from 1998 to 2004. He earned a Master of Arts degree in English from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $179,832. Paganelli is a Democrat.

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