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

Steve Bestolarides, 58, of Stockton, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served since 2013. Bestolarides has served as a member of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors since 2009. He served as a member of the Stockton City Council from 2003 to 2008 and was a general manager at the Eagle’s Nest Harley-Davidson Dealership from 2004 to 2006. Bestolarides was a vice president of construction and development at Washington Mutual Bank from 2000 to 2004. He is a member of the Woodbridge Masonic Lodge and the Ben Ali Shriners. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the National University School of Business and Management. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bestolarides is a Republican.

Vito Chiesa, 50, of Hughson, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served since 2012. Chiesa has served as a member of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors since 2008. He was manager of Chiesa Ranch Inc. from 1987 to 2011. Chiesa is president of the California State Association of Counties and a member of the Stanislaus County Agricultural Advisory Board, Stanislaus County Fish and Wildlife Committee and the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Chiesa is a Republican.

Elaine Craig, 60, of Madera, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Craig has been an executive director at the Madera County Workforce Investment Corporation since 2005. She is a member of the Madera County Business and Education Alliance, Central California Workforce Collaborative and the California Workforce Association. Craig earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Golden Gate University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Craig is a Republican.

Amarpreet Dhaliwal, 52, of San Joaquin, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Dhaliwal has served as mayor of the City of San Joaquin since 2002, where he was a member of the City Council from 2000 to 2002. He has been president of Raj and Ruby Dhaliwal Inc. since 2014 and owner of D’s Mini Mart since 1991.This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dhaliwal is registered without party preference.

Randy Dodd, 53, of Kingsburg, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where he has served since 2012. Dodd has been vice president of business development at Adventist Health since 2004, where he has held several positions since 1995, including vice president of support services and vice president of strategy development. Dodd is a member of the Kings County Economic Development Corporation and the Rotary Club of Hanford. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dodd is a Republican.

Lee Ann Eager, 59, of Fresno, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where she has served since 2013. Eager has been president and chief executive officer at the Economic Development Corporation, Fresno since 2009. She was an attorney at Lang, Richert and Patch from 2005 to 2009. Eager was an executive director at Rape Counseling Service of Fresno from 1988 to 2000. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Eager is a Democrat.

John Eisenhut, 69, of Turlock, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Eisenhut has been manager of grower relations at Hilltop Ranch Inc. since 1994 and owner of Eisenhut Farms since 1975. He is a member of the California Air Resources Board. Eisenhut earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Stanislaus and a Master of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Eisenhut is a Democrat.

Bryn Forhan, 56, of Fresno, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where she has served since 2013. Forhan has been owner at the Forhan Company since 2002. She was vice president of government and community relations at Community Medical Centers from 1995 to 2002 and served in several positions in the Office of California State Assemblymember Jim Costa from 1991 to 1994, including district chief of staff and administrative assistant. Forhan is co-chair of the Valley Coalition for the University of California, Merced Medical School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Forhan is a Democrat.

Frank Gallegos, 50, of Fresno, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Gallegos has been chief executive officer and executive director at Central California Business Finance Group since 2014. He was vice president at Community West Bank from 2012 to 2014. Gallegos was vice president at the Fresno Wells Fargo Bank from 2007 to 2012. He was vice president at Fresno First Bank from 2005 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Gallegos is a Republican.

Carole Goldsmith, 50, of Coalinga, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where she has served since 2012. Goldsmith has been president of West Hills College Coalinga since 2013 and has held several positions at the West Hills Community College District since 2002, including vice chancellor of educational services and workforce development and director of workforce development of vocational education. Goldsmith was a vice principal at the César E. Chávez Adult Education Center from 1999 to 2003 and was adjunct faculty and director of faculty training at the Bakersfield, Visalia and Fresno campuses of San Joaquin Valley College from 1998 to 1999. Goldsmith served as a teacher for the Washington Colony Elementary School District from 1996 to 1998 and as an instructor at California State University, Fresno from 1995 to 1998, during the summer months. She was adjunct business faculty at the Heald College Schools of Business and Technology from 1995 to 1996 and program director at Social Vocational Services from 1991 to 1993. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Goldsmith is a Democrat.

Carlton Jones, 41, of Tulare, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Jones has been vice mayor of the City of Tulare since 2012, where he served as a member of the City Council from 2004 to 2008. He has been an engineer at the Fresno Fire Department since 2006, where he has served as a firefighter since 2002. Jones served as a firefighter at the Tulare City Department of Fire Administration from 1994 to 2002. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Jones is a Democrat.

Daniel Leavitt, 51, of Davis, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Leavitt has been manager of regional initiatives at the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission since 2012. He served as deputy director at the California High-Speed Rail Authority from 1997 to 2012 and was executive director of the California Intercity High-Speed Rail Commission from 1995 to 1996. Leavitt was a deputy project manager at Parsons Brinckerhoff from 1994 to 1995, a research assistant at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development from 1990 to 1994 and a design engineer at Willdan Associates from 1987 to 1990. Leavitt earned a Master of Science degree in transportation engineering and city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Leavitt is a Democrat.

Luisa Medina, 61, of Fresno, has been reappointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, where she has served since 2007. Medina has been development director at Central California Legal Services Inc. since 1999, where she was an advocate in 1994. She was chief operations officer at the Fresno Private Industry Council from 1995 to 1998 and was executive director at Centro La Familia from 1979 to 1993. Medina is a member of the City of Fresno Planning Commission, League of Women Voters of Fresno, Valley Coalition for the University of California, Merced Medical School and the Fresno Mayor’s Citizen Advisory Panel. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Medina is registered without party preference.

Kish Rajan, 45, of Walnut Creek, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Rajan has served as director at the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development since 2012. He was principal at Kish Rajan Public Affairs from 2010 to 2012 and was a member of the Walnut Creek City Council from 2008 to 2012. Rajan was director of mobile sales at SanDisk Corporation from 2007 to 2010 and director of alliances at Good Technology Inc. from 2004 to 2007. Rajan was regional sales manager at Siemens from 2002 to 2004. He was chair of the Walnut Creek Transportation Commission from 2007 to 2008. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Rajan is a Democrat.

Luis Santana, 58, of Fresno, has been appointed to the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley. Santana has been executive director of Reading and Beyond since 1999. He was a consultant for the Kingsburg Community Assistance Program in 1998, director for recruitment and outreach at Centro Hispano de Estudios Teologicos from 1997 to 1998 and a missionary for Covenant World Missions from 1995 to 1997. Santana earned a Master of Arts degree in social work from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Santana is registered without party preference.