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

Ben Metcalf, 39, of Washington, D.C., has been appointed director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Metcalf has been deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Multifamily Housing Programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development since 2013, where he served as senior advisor to the commissioner and assistant secretary of housing from 2011 to 2013 and as senior advisor to the deputy assistant secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs from 2010 to 2012. He was the project manager at BRIDGE Housing Corporation from 2004 to 2010, a research associate at the Center for Court Innovation from 2000 to 2001 and a development associate at Common Ground Community from 1998 to 2000. Metcalf earned a Master of Public Policy degree in public policy and urban planning from the Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $170,004. Metcalf is a Democrat.

Benita Baines, 45, of Oakland, has been appointed special assistant to the deputy director of workforce services at the California Employment Development Department. Baines has been deputy director of regional office operations at the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities since 2014. She was workforce development and CalWORKs program director at Laney College for the Peralta Community College District from 2003 to 2014, a community and resident initiatives coordinator at Mercy Housing California from 2000 to 2003 and CalWORKs project specialist at the Merced County Office of Education from 1998 to 2000. Baines was upward bound program coordinator at Modesto Junior College from 1996 to 1998 and equal opportunity program residential coordinator at California State University, Stanislaus from 1993 to 1996. She is a member of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, National Council on Black American Affairs, Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, California Community Colleges CalWORKs Association, American Society for Public Administration, Habitat for Humanity Bay Area and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Baines earned a Master of Educational Leadership degree from Mills College and a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Stanislaus. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $91,092. Baines is a Democrat.

Dawn Akel, 55, of Elk Grove, has been appointed to the California Professional Fiduciaries Advisory Committee. Akel has been president, chief executive officer and principal fiduciary at Akel Fiduciary Inc. since 2008. She was global business development manager at InterCall’s National Sales Division from 1998 to 2012. Akel earned a Master of Science degree in telecommunications from Golden Gate University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Akel is a Democrat.

George Famalett, 51, of Fremont, has been appointed to the California Board of Accountancy. Famalett has been a tax partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP since 2005, where he has held several positions since 1996, including U.S. indirect tax practice leader and specialty partner tax team leader for the San Jose tax practice. He was an adjunct professor for the California Polytechnic State University Masters Program in Taxation from 2008 to 2010. Famalett is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Master of Science degree in taxation from Golden Gate University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Famalett is a Democrat.

Janet Falk, 69, of Oakland, has been reappointed to and designated chair of the California Housing Finance Agency Board of Directors, where she has served since 2012. Falk was vice president for real estate development at Mercy Housing from 2002 to 2011. She was executive director at the California Housing Partnership Corporation from 1999 to 2002, co-director at Community Economics Incorporated from 1980 to 1999, an associate planner for the City of Walnut Creek Planning Department from 1976 to 1980 and an assistant planner for the City of Concord Planning Department from 1975 to 1976. Falk earned a Master of Arts degree in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Falk is a Democrat.

Michael Gunning, 57, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Housing Finance Agency Board of Directors, where he has served since 2009. Gunning has been vice president at the Personal Insurance Federation of California since 2001. He was managing director at Nehemiah Community Reinvestment from 1999 to 2001, director at the California Department of Insurance’s Organized Investment Network from 1996 to 1999, a senior policy consultant for the California State Assembly from 1995 to 1996 and assistant vice president at George K. Baum and Company from 1990 to 1994. Gunning was executive assistant to the state treasurer at the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office from 1984 to 1989, a fellow at the Coro Foundation from 1983 to 1984 and a loan officer at United California Bank from 1979 to 1983. Gunning earned a Master of Public Policy Analysis degree in international development from Claremont Graduate University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gunning is a Republican.

Elaine Gallagher, 49, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Housing Finance Agency Board of Directors. Gallagher has been managing director at Stifel’s San Francisco Public Finance Office since 2011. She was managing director at Stone and Youngberg from 1998 to 2011. Gallagher earned a Master of Business Administration degree in finance and marketing from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gallagher is a Democrat.