Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Kristine M. Rodrigues, 54, of Folsom, has been appointed assistant chief of labor relations at the California Department of Human Resources. Rodrigues has been chief of the Division of Administrative Services at the Agricultural Labor Relations Board since 2016. She was special assistant at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2015 to 2016 and deputy inspector general for the Office of the Inspector General in 2015 and 2011. Rodrigues was assistant deputy director of labor and human resources management for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from 2011 to 2015 and principal labor relations officer for the California Department of Human Resources from 2005 to 2011. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and the CalHR Credentialing Program Core Project Team. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $151,800. Rodrigues is a Republican.

Steven Gonzalez-Lederer, 49, of Sacramento, has been appointed senior labor relations officer at the California Department of Human Resources. Gonzalez-Lederer has been chief of the Labor Relations Branch at the California Department of State Hospitals since 2015. He was a labor relations manager II at the California Department of Human Resources from 2013 to 2015 and a labor relations manager I at the California Department of State Hospitals from 2011 to 2013. Gonzalez-Lederer was a labor relation specialist for the California Department of Mental Health from 2006 to 2011, where he was a labor relations analyst from 2005 to 2006. He held several positions at the California Department of Transportation from 1994 to 2005, including labor relations analyst, associate Caltrans administrator, assistant Caltrans administrator and personnel services supervisor. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $119,160. Gonzalez-Lederer is a Democrat.

Fernando T. Aceves, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief counsel of the California State Lottery. Aceves has been senior staff counsel at the California Department of Parks and Recreation since 2016. He was staff counsel at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing from 2012 to 2016 and staff counsel at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2012. Aceves was an attorney at Mastagni, Holstedt, Amick, Miller, Johnsen and Uhrhammer from 2008 to 2009, an attorney at the Law Office of Ignacio Hernandez from 2006 to 2008 and a law clerk for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation from 2002 to 2005. Aceves earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Master of Arts degree in Spanish language and literature from Stanford University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $163,812. Aceves is a Democrat.

Dana Simas, 33, of West Sacramento, has been appointed press secretary at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Simas has been assistant director of communications and public affairs at the California Department of Child Support Services since 2016. She held multiple positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2010 to 2016, including information officer II, information officer I and special assistant to the Superintendent of the Northern California Youth Correctional Center. She was deputy press secretary at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2008 to 2010. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $139,932. Simas is a Democrat.

Darwin Moosavi, 29, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary for environmental policy and housing coordination at the California State Transportation Agency. Moosavi served as special advisor to the secretary of the California State Transportation Agency in 2019. He was supervising transportation planner and sustainability project manager for Caltrans from 2018 to 2019, senior planner for the California Strategic Growth Council from 2016 to 2018 and transportation planner for the Office of Sustainable Community Planning at Caltrans from 2014 to 2016. Moosavi was a planning assistant for the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability from 2013 to 2014. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,008. Moosavi is a Democrat.

Alexander DeVorkin, 70, of Marina del Rey, has been appointed chief justice on the California Courts-Martial Appellate Panel. DeVorkin served as assistant chief counsel for the California Department of Transportation’s Legal Division from 2000 to 2010, where he held several positions from 1980 to 2000. He was an associate attorney at Scott F. Dool and Associates in 1980 and a music teacher for the William S. Hart High School District from 1975 to 1976. DeVorkin served in the Army National Guard from 1971 to 1977 and 1982 to 2009. DeVorkin earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is a federal rate of 0-6, only while in session. DeVorkin is a Democrat.

David McCray, 57, of Lincoln, has been appointed as a justice on the California Courts-Martial Appellate Panel. McCray has been of counsel at Beveridge & Diamond, PC since 2014. He served as assistant chief counsel for the California Department of Transportation from 2007 to 2014, where he was deputy attorney III from 2005 to 2007. McCray served in multiple positions during his 21 years of active duty with the U.S. Air Force, including staff judge advocate of the 9th Reconnaissance Wing from 2002 to 2005, chief of the Air Force Environmental Litigation & Tort Branch from 2001 to 2002 and special assistant U.S. attorney for the Environmental Defense Section from 2000 to 2002. He was deputy chief of the Compliance and Planning Branch for the U.S. Air Force from 1999 to 2000 and deputy staff judge advocate for the 509th Bomb Wing from 1996 to 1998. McCray earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Master of Laws degree in environmental and natural resources law from the University of Utah, College of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is a federal rate of 0-6, only while in session. McCray is registered without party preference.

David Torres, 58, of Bakersfield, has been appointed as a justice on the California Courts-Martial Appellate Panel. Torres has been a criminal defense attorney in private practice since 1988. He served in several positions in the U.S. Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1999 to 2013, including chief legal assistance officer, deputy commander of the 78th Legal Service Organization, unit leader of the 78th Legal Service Organization, deputy commander of the 78th Legal Detachment Organization and retired holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Torres served in several positions in the California National Guard Army Infantry from 1985 to 1993, including rifle platoon leader and infantry executive officer. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1979 to 1983 with the 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion as a non-commissioned officer and achieved the rank of Sergeant. Torres is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, California State Military Reserve, American Board of Criminal Lawyers and the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Gonzaga University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is a federal rate of 0-6, only while in session. Torres is a Democrat.

Zoe Dunning, 56, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Veterans Board. Dunning has been a change management consultant with a variety of consulting firms since 2005. From 1999 to 2004, she served in operations leadership roles at Webvan and Chestnut Company. Dunning was a manager at Deloitte Consulting and A.T. Kearney from 1993 to 1998. A retired commander in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps, she served on active duty from 1985 to 1991, and in the reserves from 1991 to 2007. Dunning is a member of the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission and the San Francisco Library Commission. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the nonprofit Vets in Tech. Dunning earned a Master of Business Administration degree in strategy and operations from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Dunning is a Democrat.

Veronica Kelley, 52, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the California No Place Like Home Program Advisory Committee. Kelley has been director of behavioral health for the County of San Bernardino since 2016, where she held several positions from 2009 to 2016, including cultural competency officer, deputy director of regional operations and alcohol and drug services and assistant director. Kelley was a consultant at CNS Clinical Trials from 2010 to 2016, a service chief at the Orange County Health Care Agency from 1999 to 2009 and a clinical social worker for the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine from 1996 to 1999. She was community liaison director at Psychiatric Management Resources from 1993 to 1996. Kelley earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in social work from Capella University and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Kelley is a Democrat.

Hilary Haron, 33, of Fresno, has been appointed to the Consumer Motor Vehicle Recovery Corporation Board of Directors. Haron has been a partner and owner of Haron Jaguar Land Rover/Haron Motor Sales Inc. since 2010. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Haron is registered without party preference.