Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments:

Marcela M. Ruiz, 40, of Stockton, has been appointed chief of the Immigration Branch in the Welfare to Work Division at the California Department of Social Services. Ruiz has been deputy director at California Rural Legal Assistance Inc. since 2013, where she has held several positions since 2006, including regional director, directing attorney, staff attorney and a Berkeley Law Foundation fellow. She was a law clerk at the East Bay Community Law Center from 2004 to 2005, co-founder and board secretary at Casa Mexico from 2000 to 2003 and assistant director of organizing at the New York Hotel Trades Council from 1999 to 2003. Ruiz is a member of the Legal Aid Association of California. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,176. Ruiz is a Democrat.

Stacie Spector, 52, of San Diego, has been appointed to the State Bar of California Board of Trustees. Spector has been principal at Spector Strategies since 2000. She was vice president of strategy and external relations for the Nutrition Science Initiative from 2013 to 2015, chief communications officer at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies from 2011 to 2013 and associate vice chancellor of communications and public affairs at the University of California, San Diego from 2004 to 2009. Spector was deputy campaign manager and director of strategic operations at Al Gore for President in 1999 and deputy assistant to the president and deputy director of communications at the White House from 1997 to 1999. She is a member of the San Diego Theatres Board of Directors and the Humane Society of the United States Communications Council. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $50 per diem. Spector is a Democrat. 

Al Perez, 49, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the 1a District Agricultural Association, Grand National Rodeo, Cow Palace Fair Board of Directors. Perez has been principal at Creative I Studio since 2002 and a project manager at George P Johnson since 2010. He was creative director at AsianWeek from 2007 to 2008, director of creative services at the Meeting Architects from 2000 to 2002 and an art director for Bank of America from 1999 to 2000. Perez is president of the Filipino American Arts Exposition and a member of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society, Filipino Food Movement, Asian Pacific American Heritage Foundation, Philippine Independence Day Celebration Committee, San Francisco Shanghai Sister City Committee, San Francisco Manila Sister City Committee and the San Francisco Entertainment Commission. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Perez is a Democrat.

Tiffany Martinez, 33, of Lake City, has been appointed to the 34th District Agricultural Association, Modoc District Fair Board of Directors. Martinez has been deputy clerk for the Modoc County Board of Supervisors since 2015. She was executive director at the Shasta County Farm Bureau from 2010 to 2015. Martinez is a member of the California Cattlemen’s Association, Shasta County Cattlewomen’s Association and the Shasta County Farm Bureau. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Martinez is registered without party preference.