Governor Newsom announces appointments

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Jason Kenney of Carmichael has been appointed Director of the Department of General Services. Kenney has been Chief Deputy Director for the Department of General Services since 2023, where he has held multiple positions since 2016, including Deputy Director of Real Estate Services, Assistant Deputy Director of Real Estate Services, Chief of the Project Management and Development Branch, and Deputy Director of Strategic Planning, Policy and Research. He was the Chief of the Business Management Branch at the Department of State Hospitals from 2013 to 2015. Kenney earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $239,858. Kenney is registered without party preference.   

Patricia Barahona, of Modesto, has been reappointed to the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California, where they have served since 2023. Barahona has been Business Owner of Them Tops, LLC since 2023. They have been Chief Executive Officer at the Youth Leadership Institute since 2020, where they held multiple roles since 2011, including Chief People Officer, Director of San Francisco Programs, and Youth Advocacy Coordinator. Barahona was Youth Organizer for Forward Together from 2011 to 2012. They held multiple positions at New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault from 2004 to 2008, including Public Education Coordinator and Community Outreach Coordinator. Barahona is Treasurer of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. They earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from Rutgers University and a Master of Arts degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the School of International Training. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $50 per diem. Barahona is a Democrat.

Jose Cisneros, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California, where he has served since 2019. Cisneros has been Treasurer for the City and County of San Francisco since 2004. He was Deputy General Manager at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency from 2002 to 2004. Cisneros was Industry Group Manager in Financial Services at IBM Corporation from 1995 to 2001. He held multiple positions at Lotus Development Corporation from 1988 to 1995, including Senior International Product Manager and Senior Product Manager. Cisneros was Assistant Vice President at the Bank of Boston from 1982 to 1988. He is Board Member of Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund. Cisneros earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $50 per diem. Cisneros is a Democrat.

Ajay Bhutoria, of Fremont, has been appointed to the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists. Bhutoria has been Founder and Principal at Global Business Consulting Services since 2006. He was a Commissioner on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders from 2021 to 2024. Bhutoria earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bhutoria is a Democrat.