SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Michelle Bholat, 64, of Redondo Beach, has been appointed to the Medical Board of California. Bholat has served as a Professor for the Department of Family Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles since 1999, where she has been Executive Vice Chair since 2012. Bholat has been Editor at the Journal of Medical Regulation since 2019. She held multiple positions at the Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center from 1995 to 1999, including Assistant Clinical Professor, Medical Director, Associate Program Director and OB Fellowship Director. Bholat was a Student Nurse at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services General Hospital from 1979 to 1981. Bholat is a member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, Society of Hospital Medicine and California Society of Association Medicine. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health and a Doctor of Medicine degree from University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bholat is a Democrat.
Kristina Lawson, 44, of Walnut Creek, has been reappointed to the Medical Board of California, where she has served since 2015. Lawson has been Managing Partner of Hanson Bridgett LLP since 2021 and a Partner there since 2017. She was a Partner at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips LLP from 2011 to 2017. Lawson was a member of the Walnut Creek City Council from 2010 to 2014, serving as Mayor of the city in 2014. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lawson is a Democrat.
Roi David Lollar, 55, of Bakersfield, has been appointed to the Board of Registered Nursing. Lollar has been a Theater and English Teacher at the Kern High School District since 2006. He held several positions at the Delano Joint Union Highs School District from 2004 to 2006, including Drama and English Teacher, Certificated Intern Contract Advisor, Drama Club Director and Performing Arts Department Teacher. Lollar was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the Fine Arts Department of the University of Illinois from 1992 to 1994. He was a Talent Agent Assistant at International Creative Management from 2000 to 2003. Lollar is a member of the Kern High School Teachers Association and the National Education Association’s Task Force on the Future of Assessments. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Illinois. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lollar is a Democrat.
Thomas McKone, 71, of Albany, has been reappointed to the California Scientific Guidance Panel, where he has served since 2007. McKone has been a Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley since 2016. He has been Senior Advisor at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2015, where he has held several positions in the Energy and Environmental Impacts Division since 1996, including Senior Scientist and Deputy of Research Programs. McKone was a Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health from 1996 to 2015 and a Research Engineer at the University of California, Davis Department of Environmental Toxicology from 1992 to 1995. He was a Staff Scientist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Division of Health and Ecological Assessment from 1983 to 1995. McKone was a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health from 1987 to 1988 and a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards from 1981 to 1983. McKone is a member of the International Society of Exposure Science, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Synthetic Turf Scientific Advisory Panel. He earned Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science degrees in engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. McKone is a Democrat.
Stacy Hancock, 49, of Groveland, has been appointed to the State Board of Optometry. Hancock has been an Optician at Precision Optics since 2009. She was an Optician at Robert Haymond MD from 2003 to 2009, an Optician at Donaldson Eye Care Associates from 2002 to 2003 and Lead Optician at Vicki Leung OD & Eric Leser OD from 1994 to 2002. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hancock is a Democrat.
Jonathon M. Ross, 35, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the State Board of Optometry. Ross has served as Principal Optometrist at the University of California, Davis Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science since 2017. He was an Associate Optometrist at Doctors Chan, Moon & Associates from 2015 to 2017. Ross is a board-certified Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. He is a member of the American Optometric Association and the California Optometric Association. He earned Doctor of Optometry and Master of Science degrees in Vision Science from the Southern California College of Optometry. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. He is registered without party preference.
Michael Kim, 41, of Glendale, has been appointed to the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. He has been an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine since 2016. He is a member of the American Board of Anesthesiology with board certifications in anesthesiology and critical care. He earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Touro University California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kim is a Libertarian.
Yessenia Anderson, 33, of Elk Grove, has been appointed to the Structural Pest Control Board. Anderson has been Division Manager of Content and Media Relations at Dignity Health since 2022, where she was External Communications Manager from 2019 to 2022. She was a Senior Public Relations Specialist at VSP Global from 2014 to 2019, a Media Relations Specialist at Perry Communications Group from 2012 to 2014 and a Reporter at KDRV NewsWatch 12 from 2010 to 2012. Anderson is a Fellow with Nueva Epoca. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Anderson is a Democrat.
Mark Paxson, 57, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Structural Pest Control Board. Paxson has been a Senior Attorney at the California Student Aid Commission since 2021. He was General Counsel at the California State Treasurer’s Office from 2005 to 2020, where he was Senior Attorney from 2002 to 2005. He held multiple positions at the California Department of Developmental Services from 1998 to 2002, including Senior Attorney and Attorney. He is a member of the American River Bike Patrol and a member of the Elk Grove Writers Guild. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Paxson is registered without party preference.