Governor Newsom Announces Appointments

Brandon Nunes, 46, of Carmichael, has been reappointed chief deputy director of operations at the California Department of Public Health, where he has served in that position since 2015. Nunes held several positions at the California Department of Finance from 1999 to 2015, including principal program budget analyst, staff finance budget analyst and financial and performance evaluator.

Nunes was confirmed to this position by the Senate in 2016 and the compensation is $186,384. Nunes is registered without party preference.

Mark Starr, 63, of Rocklin, has been reappointed deputy director of the Center for Environmental Health at the California Department of Public Health, where he has served in that position since 2012. Starr was director of Community Health at Placer County from 2007 to 2012. He held several positions in Communicable Disease Control at the California Department of Health Care Services from 1995 to 2006, including acting division chief, surveillance and statistics section chief and public health veterinarian. He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $200,916. Starr is a Democrat.

Heidi Steinecker, 42, of Sacramento, has been reappointed deputy director of the Center for Health Care Quality at the California Department of Public Health, where she has served in that position since 2018. Steinecker was an executive health care consultant at Global Health Consulting in Germany from 2017 to 2018. She held several positions at the University of California, Davis Medical Center from 2005 to 2017, including director of licensing and accreditation, surgical and clinical practice manager, and new student services director. Steinecker earned a Master of Arts degree in English rhetoric and policy from California Polytechnic State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $155,496. Steinecker is a Democrat.

Monica Wagoner, 57, of Sacramento, has been reappointed deputy director of legislative and governmental affairs at the California Department of Public Health, where she has served in that position since 2007. Wagoner was a government affairs representative for the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians in 2006. She was manager of state government affairs at Blue Shield of California from 1997 to 2005. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $148,524. Wagoner is a Democrat.

Jacob Appelsmith, 56, of Sacramento, has been reappointed director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, where he has served in that position since 2017. Appelsmith was chief campus counsel at the University of California, Davis from 2013 to 2017. He was senior advisor and director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control from 2010 to 2013. Appelsmith held multiple positions at the California Department of Justice, including senior assistant attorney general from 1994 to 2010. He was chief at the California Bureau of Gaming Control from 2008 to 2011. He was an associate at Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro from 1988 to 1994. Appelsmith earned a Juris Doctor degree from University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Appelsmith was confirmed to this position by the Senate in 2016 and the compensation is $194,000. Appelsmith is a Democrat.

Eric Hirata, 48, of Elk Grove, has been reappointed chief deputy director at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, where he has served in that position since 2017. Hirata has held multiple positions at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control since 1996, including deputy division chief from 2009 to 2017, project manager from 2008 to 2009, legislative director from 2006 to 2008, district administrator from 2005 to 2006, supervising agent from 2002 to 2005, agent at the Special Operations Unit, Northern Division Office from 2001 to 2002, agent at the Special Operations Unit, Southern Division Office from 1999 to 2001, and agent at the Inglewood District Office from 1996 to 1999.  Hirata was investigator assistant at the Department of Consumer Affairs from 1994 to 1996. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Stanislaus. Hirata is a member of the California Peace Officers’ Association, National Liquor Law Enforcement Association, Sacramento Asian Peace Officers Association and the Asian Pacific State Employees Association and foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $168,768. Hirata is registered without party preference.

Udaya Patnaik, 46, of San Mateo, has been appointed director of the Office of Digital Innovation at the Government Operations Agency. Patnaik has been co-founder, senior partner and chief financial officer at Jump Associates since 1998. He was rural development specialist at the Rural Community Assistance Corporation from 1995 to 1998. Patnaik is an editorial advisory board member of TEDMED, an international advisory board member of Fundación Chile, and a member of the boards of KABOOM! and Just Human Productions. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $197,700. Patnaik is a Democrat.

Victoria Gonzalez-Gerlach, 29, of San Antonio, TX, has been appointed senior advisor at the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. Gonzalez-Gerlach has been director of policy in the Office of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg since 2020, where she served as senior policy advisor from 2017 to 2020. Gonzalez-Gerlach was land use project manager at Golden Steves & Gordon LLP from 2013 to 2017. She is a local advisory committee member of Local Initiatives Support Corporation – San Antonio and a member of American Red Cross – Central & South Texas Region and New Leaders Council – San Antonio. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $111,504. Gonzalez-Gerlach is a Democrat.

Kyle Finley, 42, of Loomis, has been appointed to the Structural Pest Control Board. Finley has been founder and president at Twin Termite and Pest Control Inc. since 2007. He is a member of the Sacramento Association of Realtors and the board of xHope and Redeemer House. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Finley is a Republican.

Holly Kaiser, 66, of Tiburon, has been appointed to the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board. Kaiser was chief executive officer at Creative Strategies for Special Education from 2012 to 2019, co-founder and senior vice president of client development at Progressus Therapy LLC from 2000 to 2012, founder and owner of Holly Kaiser Therapy Services from 1981 to 2006 and preschool specialist and severely language handicapped classroom teacher for the Mount Diablo Unified School District from 1978 to 1982. Kaiser is director at large of the California Speech-Language Hearing Association. She earned a Master of Arts degree in speech-language pathology from Central Michigan University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kaiser is a Democrat.