Governor Newsom Announces Appointments

Tyson Eckerle, 40, of Sacramento, has been reappointed deputy director of zero emission vehicle market development in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), where he has served in that position since 2016. Eckerle was zero emission vehicle infrastructure project manager in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development from 2014 to 2016. Eckerle was executive director at Energy Independence Now from 2011 to 2014, where he was associate director from 2009 to 2011. He served in several positions at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District from 2002 to 2007, including regulatory project manager, biologist, recruitment coordinator and environmental planner. Eckerle earned a Master of Science degree in environmental science and management from the University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $133,188. Eckerle is a Democrat.

Maral Farsi, 39, of Sacramento, has been reappointed deputy director of legislative and inter-governmental affairs at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), where she has served in that position since 2018. Farsi was regional director of governmental affairs at CVS Health from 2014 to 2018. She was a health policy manager at Optum from 2011 to 2014, policy analyst at the California Association of Health Plans from 2008 to 2011 and program associate at The California Endowment from 2007 to 2008. Farsi is a member of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health Alumni Association. She earned a Master of Science degree in law from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $128,652. Farsi is a Democrat.

Frank Ramirez, 67, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of sustainable freight development at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Ramirez has been sustainable freight project manager in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development since 2017, and has served in several positions since 2011, including sustainable freight project manager, senior specialist and senior permit assistance specialist. Ramirez was senior policy analyst at the California Research Bureau from 2014 to 2015 and at the California State Library from 2004 to 2011. He served as senior project manager in the Office of the Governor from 2003 to 2004, where he was deputy director of planning from 2000 to 2003. Ramirez served as director of the Office of Permit Assistance at the California Trade and Commerce Agency from 1997 to 2000. He earned a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $118,416. Ramirez is a Democrat.

Poonum Rashmikant Patel, 30, of Hayward, has been appointed assistant deputy director of business investment services at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Patel has been senior business development specialist in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development since 2017, where she has held several positions since 2013, including senior permit assistance specialist, permit assistance specialist and special assistant. Patel was a special assistant for appointments in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2011 to 2013. Patel earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $111,528. Patel is a Democrat.

Gia Brazil Vacin, 44, of Oakland, has been appointed assistant deputy director of zero emission vehicle market development at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), where she has served as zero emission vehicle infrastructure project manager since 2016. Vacin was principal at Brazil Vacin Consulting from 2013 to 2016. She was an associate at Blue Earth Consultants from 2010 to 2013, project manager/environmental scientist at Leidos (formerly SAIC) from 2002 to 2010 and an intern at CONCUR Inc. in 2009. Vacin was a commercial recycling specialist at Recology Sunset Scavenger in 2001, a recycling associate at the San Francisco Department of the Environment from 2000 to 2001 and a fish and wildlife scientific aide at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in 1999. She was a marine and environmental educator at the Marine Mammal Center in 1997. Vacin earned a Master of Science degree in environmental science and management from the University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $103,764. She is a Democrat.

Michael Richwine, 62, of Roseville, has been appointed state fire marshal at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), where he has been the acting state fire marshal since 2018 and assistant state fire marshal since 2012. Richwine has served in several positions in the Office of the State Fire Marshal, including as division chief for State Fire Training from 2005 to 2012, division chief for fire engineering/arson and bomb from 2002 to 2005, deputy state fire marshal III specialist, operations coordinator from 2000 to 2002, deputy state fire marshal III specialist, certified unified program agency coordinator from 1997 to 1999, fire service training specialist III from 1992 to 1997, and deputy state fire marshal from 1986 to 1992. He was a firefighter for the City of Hanford Fire Department from 1980 to 1986. Richwine also served for six years on CAL FIRE Incident Management Teams and is a member of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, California Fire Chiefs Association, International Code Council, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and National Fire Protection Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $171,526. Richwine is a Republican.

Megan Allred, 34, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant deputy director of legislative affairs at the Department of Consumer Affairs. Allred has been a legislative advocate at the California Medical Association since 2018.  She was a legislative advocate at the California Dental Association from 2014 to 2018.  Allred was legislative director for California State Senator Ted Gaines from 2010 to 2014.  Allred earned a Juris Doctor degree from Lincoln Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,000. Allred is registered without party preference.

Carrie Holmes, 40, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of board and bureau services at the Department of Consumer Affairs. Holmes has been legislative director in the Office of California State Senator Jim Beall since 2017, where she was a policy consultant from 2016 to 2017. Holmes was legislative aide for California State Senator Mark Leno from 2015 to 2016.  She was assistant deputy secretary of state for legislative affairs and voter outreach in the California Secretary of State’s Office from 2011 to 2015. Holmes was an executive fellow at the California High-Speed Rail Authority from 2010 to 2011. She was youth program director at the Hub for Sustainable Transportation from 2008 to 2010. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $127,100. Holmes is a Democrat.

Erin E. Holbrook, 45, of Elk Grove, has been appointed chief counsel at the Department of Transportation. Holbrook has been assistant chief counsel at the Department of Transportation since 2017, where she has held several positions since 2010, including acting deputy director, administration and deputy attorney. She held several positions at Thurbon and McHaney LP from 2000 to 2010, including senior associate attorney and associate attorney. Holbrook is a member of Women in Transportation International. She 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 $188,184. Holbrook is registered without party preference.

Tamie D. McGowen, 50, of Folsom, has been reappointed assistant director of public affairs at the California Department of Transportation, where she has served in that position since 2007. McGowen held several positions at the Department of Transportation from 1992 to 2007, including division chief of public affairs, deputy advisor and administrative services manager, deputy advisor and resource manager, resource manager for the office of civil rights, certification analyst for the office of civil rights, personnel services specialist for the office of human resources, certification analyst for disadvantaged businesses for the office of civil rights, office technician for the office of administrative services, and support services assistant for the office of administrative services. McGowen is a member of the California State Information Officers Council. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $141,588. McGowen is registered without party preference.

Ellen J. Greenberg, 61, of Piedmont, has been reappointed deputy director of sustainability at the California Department of Transportation, where she has served in that position since 2016. Greenberg was director at Ove Arup & Partners from 2014 to 2016. She was principal and associate principal at the Arup North America from 2010 to 2014. Greenberg was sole proprietor at Ellen Greenberg AICP from 2006 to 2010 and from 1993 to 2000. She was principal at Freedman, Tung & Bottomley Urban Design from 2004 to 2006. Greenberg held several positions at Congress for the New Urbanism from 2003 to 2004, including director of policy and research and interim executive director. She was principal at Blayney Dyett Greenberg, Urban & Regional Planners from 1983 to 1993. Greenberg is a fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners. She earned a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $164,376. Greenberg is a Democrat.

Danny Yost, 35, of Sacramento, has been reappointed assistant deputy director for legislation at the California Department of Transportation, where he has served in that position since 2018. Yost was a legislative liaison at the Department of Transportation from 2012 to 2018. He was a graduate student instructor at the University of California, Berkeley from 2011 to 2012. Yost was a legislative fellow at the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs in 2011. He was a transportation engineer and planner at Fehr and Peers Transportation Consultants from 2007 to 2009. He is a member of Midtown Neighborhood Association, Young Professionals in Transportation and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Yost earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $128,652. Yost is a Democrat.

Sarah Larson, 33, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of operations for the Division of Rehabilitative Programs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Larson has been associate director in the Budget Management Branch of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2018, where she was chief of administration, budgets from 2016 to 2018. She was a policy analyst in the Office of California State Senator Jim Beall from 2015 to 2016 and a fiscal and policy analyst in the Office of the Legislative Analyst from 2013 to 2015. Larson was a research assistant at Georgetown University from 2011 to 2013 and a student employee at the U.S. Health and Human Services Agency from 2012 to 2013. She was a quality management analyst at California Correctional Health Care Services from 2009 to 2011. Larson earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the Georgetown School of Public Policy. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $150,048. Larson is a Democrat.

Julissa de Gonzalez, 30, of Sacramento, has been appointed director of legislation and policy for the Department of Pesticide Regulation at the California Environmental Protection Agency. De Gonzalez has been an external affairs specialist at Covered California since 2019. She was a research analyst at the Little Hoover Commission from 2017 to 2019. De Gonzalez was a legislative aide in the Office of the State Senator Robert M. Hertzberg from 2016 to 2017. She served in the Office of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer as a field representative from 2014 to 2016 and as a staff assistant from 2012 to 2014. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $124,980. De Gonzalez is a Democrat.

Brenna Sheldon, 29, of San Francisco, has been appointed special assistant at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Sheldon has been a clinical research coordinator at the University of California, San Francisco since 2018.  She was sales manager at All Power Labs from 2014 to 2016 and a project scientist intern at Engineering/Remediation Resources Group in 2014. Sheldon is a member of University Professional and Technical Employees. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $80,004. Sheldon is a Democrat.

Tina Brazil, 59, of Turlock, has been appointed to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission.  Brazil has been a public safety dispatcher at the California Highway Patrol since 1997. She is president of the CHP-Public Safety Dispatchers Association and senior vice president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brazil is a Democrat.

Roger Salazar, 50, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission. Salazar has been president of ALZA Strategies since 2014. He was managing director of Mercury Public Affairs from 2012 to 2014, partner at Acosta/Salazar LLC from 2004 to 2012, and senior vice president at Porter Novelli LLC from 2003 to 2004. Salazar was served as press secretary and deputy press secretary in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 2000 to 2002, deputy press secretary for Gore 2000 from 1999 to 2000, and assistant press secretary in the Office of President Bill Clinton from 1995 to 1999. He is a lifetime member of the California Four Wheel Drive Association and California Off-Road Vehicle Association, a member of Sierra Treasure Hunters 4×4 Club, and the University of Redlands Board of Trustees. Salazar earned a Master of Arts degree in political management from George Washington University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Salazar is a Democrat.