Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom Tuesday announced the following appointments:
Elizabeth A. Estes, 51, of Kentfield, has been appointed to the Advisory Commission on Special Education. Estes has been Of Counsel at Atkinson Andelson Loya Ruud & Romo since 2015. She was an Attorney and Partner at Dannis Woliver and Kelly from 1999 to 2015. Estes was an Attorney at Dependency Court Legal Services from 1994 to 1998. She is founder of Breaking Barriers and a member of the California Children’s Trust Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors for the Family and Children’s Law Center of Marin. Estes earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Estes is a Democrat.
April A. Lopez, 54, of Yorba Linda, has been reappointed to the Advisory Commission on Special Education, where she has served since 2018. Lopez has been a self-employed Chiropractic Doctor at April Lopez Chiropractic since 2001. She earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic at the Southern California University of Health Sciences. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lopez is registered without party preference.
Kimberly R. Young, 39, of Culver City, has been appointed to the California Instructional Quality Commission. Young has been a Teacher at Culver City High School since 2016. She was a Program Associate at Facing History and Ourselves from 2015 to 2016. Young was Lead New Teacher Coach at the Oakland Unified School District from 2013 to 2015. She was a Humanities Teacher at Life Academy High School from 2006 to 2013. Young is a teacher consultant at the Bay Area Writing Project and a member of the American Educational Research Association. She earned a Master of Education degree from Stanford University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Young is a Democrat.
Celeste Cantu, 65, of Temecula, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2018. Cantu has been an advisor with the Water Solutions Network since 2017. She was General Manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority from 2006 to 2017, Executive Director of the California State Water Resources Control Board from 2001 to 2006, State Director at U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development from 1998 to 2001, Executive Director at the Imperial Valley Housing Authority from 1978 to 1998 and Planning Director for the City of Calexico from 1977 to 1978. Cantu is vice chair of the Water Foundation Board of Directors and Water Education Foundation Board of Directors and president of the Public Policy Institute of California, Water Policy Center Advisory Council. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Cantu is a Democrat.
