Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments.
Kristoffer Applegate, 37, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant secretary for legislative affairs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as chief of legislative affairs for adult operations since 2012 and was a legislative manager from 2009 to 2012 and a legislative analyst from 2006 to 2009. Applegate served as a legislative analyst at the California Department of Consumer Affairs from 2005 to 2006 and was an expediter at Expo Design Center from 2004 to 2005. He served as a law clerk at the Placer County Public Defender’s Office from 2003 to 2004 and as a certified student attorney at the Federal Public Defender’s Office, Eastern District of California from 2001 to 2003. Applegate 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 $120,000. Applegate is a Democrat.
Patrick McKinney II, 42, of Oakland, has been appointed assistant secretary for legal affairs and chief counsel at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. McKinney has been a supervising deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General since 2012, where he has served as a deputy attorney general since 2011. He was special counsel for litigation at Farella, Braun and Martel LLP from 2009 to 2011, where he was a litigation associate from 2001 to 2009. McKinney earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $161,532. McKinney is a Democrat.
Benjamin Rice, 43, of Sacramento, has been appointed senior legal policy advisor at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as chief counsel in the Office of Legal Affairs since 2008. Rice was deputy legal affairs secretary in the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2007 to 2008 and deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2003 to 2006. He was a litigation associate at Rankin, Sproat, Mires, Beaty and Reynolds from 2001 to 2003, at Shapiro, Buchman, Provine and Patton from 2000 to 2001 and at Ropers, Majeski, Kohn and Bentley from 1998 to 2000. Rice earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $161,532. Rice is a Democrat.
Samuel Chiu, 27, of Upland, has been appointed associate director of communications at the California Natural Resources Agency. Chiu served in several positions in the Office of the Governor from 2010 to 2013, including assistant press secretary, press aide and executive fellow. He earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Stanford University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $70,008. Chiu is registered without party preference.
Gloria Sandoval, 39, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director of public affairs at the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Sandoval has served as associate director of communications at the California Natural Resources Agency since 2014. She served as a public information officer at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2013 to 2014 and held several positions at the California Department of Boating and Waterways from 2000 to 2013, including public information officer and boating education specialist. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,176. Sandoval is a Democrat.
