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

Houng Le, 55, of Danville, has been appointed to the Dental Board of California, where she has served since 2009. Le has been chief dental officer at the Asian Health Services Community Health Center since 2003. She was dental director at Darin Camarena Community Health Center from 2002 to 2003 and staff dentist and dental director at Del Norte Clinics Inc. from 1989 to 2002. Le earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Texas School of Dentistry and a Master of Arts degree in dental education from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Le is registered without party preference.

Bruce Lyman Whitcher, 65, of San Luis Obispo, has been appointed to the Dental Board of California, where he has served since 2009. Whitcher has been an oral surgeon at Central Coast Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery since 1987. He earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Whitcher is a Democrat.

Kevin Walkow, 30, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief of legislative affairs for juvenile operations at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has been an attorney in the Office of Legal Affairs since 2014. Walkow was an associate at Best, Best and Krieger LLP in 2013, where he was a summer associate in 2011. Walkow was a law clerk in the Legislative Office at the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in 2010, a legislative aide in the Office of California State Senator David Cogdill from 2008 until 2009 and a California State Senate Fellow from 2007 to 2008. He 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 $85,056. Walkow is registered without party preference.

Rosalinda Rosalez, 36, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief of legislative affairs for adult operations at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where she has been chief of legislative affairs for juvenile operations since 2012 and was an ombudsperson in the Office of the Ombudsman from 2007 to 2012. Rosalez was a consultant for California State Senator Gloria Romero from 2004 to 2007, a legal investigator at the California Appellate Project from 2002 until 2004 and a California State Senate Fellow from 2001 to 2002. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $107,004. Rosalez is a Democrat.

Clyde Peter McNamee, 63, of Fort Bragg, has been appointed to the 12th District Agricultural Association, Redwood Empire Fair Board of Directors. McNamee was an assistant executive director at the California Postsecondary Education Commission from 2007 to 2008, a senior project manager at the California Little Hoover Commission from 2004 to 2007 and an executive director at the California Employment Training Program from 2001 to 2004. He was senior project manager at the California Little Hoover Commission from 1998 to 2001 and a staff manager at the California Department of Health Services, Medical Eligibility Division from 1995 to 1998. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. McNamee is registered without party preference.

Thomas Browning, 58, of North San Juan, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2006. Browning was battalion chief at the Grass Valley Fire Department from 1998 to 2011 and deputy fire marshal at the Nevada County Consolidated Fire District from 1993 to 1998. Browning was a correctional officer for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department from 1991 to 1993. He is a member of the Nevada County Farm Bureau, Nevada County Livestock Producers Association and the Native Sons of the Golden West. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Browning is a Republican.

Ann “Shanti” Emerson, 72, of Auburn, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2012. Emerson was an instructor at the Academy of Art University from 1996 to 2001 and a teacher at the Paramount Unified School District from 1989 to 1994. She was a teacher at Baldwin Park High School from 1984 to 1989, at Holy Family High School from 1981 to 1984 and at Bishop Conaty High School from 1980 to 1981. Emerson is a member of the Business and Professional Women of Nevada County, South Nevada County Chamber of Commerce and the Democratic Women’s Club of Nevada County. She earned a Master of Education degree in English from the United States International University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Emerson is a Democrat.

Robert “Simi” Lyss, 79, of Nevada City, has been appointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2005. Lyss was senior vice president for health affairs and chief medical officer at Health Partners of the Southeast from 1998 to 1999 and regional medical director at Kaiser Permanente’s Northeast Region from 1986 to 1996. Lyss was physician-in-chief and chief of staff at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center from 1975 to 1985 and an assistant physician-in-chief at Kaiser Permanente’s Hayward Medical Center from 1968 to 1975. Lyss earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lyss is a Republican.

Arnie Romanello, 86, of Grass Valley, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2001. Romanello has been a park monitor for the City of Grass Valley since 2008. He was a partner at Arnie Romanello’s Appliance Installers from 2002 to 2005 and owner at Arnie’s Bluebird Café from 1994 to 2001. Romanello was managing partner at Birds Landing Hunting Preserve from 1980 to 1993. He is a member of the Lions Club International. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Romanello is a Democrat.

Steven Steele, 57, of Rough and Ready, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2013. Steele has been owner and operator at Hog Hollow Farm since 1988. He served in several positions for Nevada County from 1980 to 2012, including road superintendent and fleet services manager at the Department of Public Works and equipment shop supervisor at the Department of Transportation. Steele is a member of the Nevada County Farm Bureau, Nevada County Ag Youth Boosters and the California Pork Producers Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Steele is a Democrat.