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

Blanca Rodriguez, 50, of Elk Grove, has been appointed deputy district director for external affairs at the California Department of Transportation District 7. She has been District 7 acting deputy district director for external affairs at the Department of Transportation since 2014, where she has served in several positions since 1996, including assistant division chief of budgets and administration, acting deputy director in the Office of Business and Economic Opportunity and branch chief of capital outlay support, statewide resources. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $122,400. Rodriguez is a Democrat.

Carl Torgersen, 62, of Manteca, has been appointed chief deputy director at the California Department of Water Resources, where he been acting chief deputy director since 2015 and has served in several positions since 1981, including deputy director of the State Water Project,  acting deputy director, chief of the Operations and Maintenance Division, chief of the State Water Project Operations Control Office, chief of the San Luis Field Division, chief of the Engineering Branch, chief of the Power Plants Section and staff mechanical engineer in the Design and Construction Division. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $172,908. Torgersen is a Republican.

Lynn Sadler, 63, of Fair Oaks, has been appointed deputy director of the Division of Boating and Waterways at the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Sadler has been director of the California Public Utilities Commission, Office of Governmental Affairs since 2012. She was assistant public advisor for the California Energy Commission from 2010 to 2012, president and chief executive officer at the Mountain Lion Foundation from 1996 to 2010 and natural resources director at the Planning and Conservation League from 1989 to 1996. Sadler was a legislative consultant for the California State Senate Joint Committee on Science and Technology from 1986 to 1987, assistant director for information and policy coordination at the California Department of Personnel Administration from 1981 to 1982 and a staff member in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 1980 to 1981. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $122,796. Sadler is a Democrat.

Jill Caren Bolton, 55, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the California Volunteers Commission. Bolton has been director of corporate citizenship at the Disneyland Resort since 2000, where she has held several positions since 1994, including manager for community relations and education programs and manager of Disney educational programs. She was a school psychologist for the Huntington Beach School District from 1987 to 1994. Bolton earned a Master of Science degree in counseling from California State University, Long Beach. This positon does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bolton is a Republican.

Tim Strauch, 49, of Huntington Beach, has been appointed to the California Volunteers Commission. Strauch has been vice president and chief operating officer at OneOC since 2009. He has held several positions at the YMCA of Orange County since 1991, including executive vice president, senior vice president, group vice president, executive director and senior health and fitness director. He earned a Master of Science degree in athletic administration from Florida State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Strauch is a Republican.

John Corbett, 67, of McKinleyville, has been reappointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2002.  Corbett was senior legal counsel to the Yurok Tribe from 2003 to 2015, a general manager of the North Coast Cooperative from 1983 to 2002 and a special magistrate judge for the Bureau of Indian Affairs from 1979 to 1982. Corbett was a member of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors in 1976 and the California Coastal Commission from 1976 to 1981. He was a program analyst at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1971 to 1972. Corbett earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Master of Laws degree from the Stockholm University School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Corbett is a Democrat.

Kelli Gant, 57, of Trinity Center, has been appointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Gant has been owner and president at Tangella Corporation since 1997. She was director of technical publications and training at Avolent from 1999 to 2003 and director of project management at Vision Software from 1995 to 1996. Gant held multiple positions at Unify Corporation from 1983 to 1995, including director of communications, manager of publications and technical writer. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Gant is a Republican.

Henry Abarbanel, 72, of Del Mar, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2011. Abarbanel has been a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego and a research physicist at the university’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography since 1983. He served as a member of the Del Mar City Council from 2000 to 2008 and from 1992 to 1996. Abarbanel earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in physics from Princeton University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Abarbanel is a Democrat.

Eric Anderson, 58, of Elfin Forest, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2004. Anderson has been a farmer and vice president at La Costa Flower Shop and Nursery since 1978. He is a member of the San Diego County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, Southern California Palm Society Board of Directors and the Cactus and the Succulent Society of America Board of Directors. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Anderson is a Libertarian.

William Kissinger, 55, of Mill Valley, has been reappointed to the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2012. Kissinger has been a partner at Morgan Lewis and Bockius since 2014. He was a partner at Bingham McCutchen from 2003 to 2014, senior deputy legal affairs secretary in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 2001 to 2003, senior advisor for international economic policy for the National Economic Council at the White House from 2000 to 2001 and special assistant for the legal adviser at the U.S. Department of State from 1997 to 2000. Kissinger was an associate and then a partner at McCutchen, Doyle, Brown and Enersen from 1989 to 1997 and a staff attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 1987 to 1988. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kissinger is a Democrat.

Cecilia Ogbu, 37, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board. Ogbu was an associate at Crowell and Moring LLP from 2009 to 2011 and at Folger, Levin and Kahn LLP from 2004 to 2009. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ogbu is a Democrat.

Tom Rivera, 76, of Grand Terrace, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2012. Rivera held multiple positions at California State University, San Bernardino from 1972 to 2011, including associate dean of undergraduate studies, associate dean of education support services and assistant professor of education. He was a counselor and a human resources coordinator at San Bernardino Valley College from 1970 to 1972 and an elementary school teacher at the Rialto Unified School District from 1965 to 1970. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Lloro, Colombia from 1963 to 1965. Rivera has been a member of the San Bernardino Behavioral Health Commission since 2009. He earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Art degree from California State University, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Rivera is a Democrat.

William Ruh, 56, of Montclair, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2001. Ruh has been director of government affairs for the Citrus Valley Association of Realtors since 2001 and a member of the Montclair City Council since 1998. He was a consultant to the joint legislative committee on the Alameda Corridor East from 1999 to 2001, a field representative for Congressman Jay Kim from 1995 to 1999 and a constituent affairs representative for California State Assemblymember Fred Aguiar from 1993 to 1995. Ruh was executive director for Project Home Run from 1991 to 1993 and director of government relations in the Baldy View Region of the Building Industry Association from 1988 to 1991. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ruh is a Republican.

Cynthia “Cyndy” Dolph, 62, of Madera, has been appointed to the San Joaquin River Conservancy Board. Dolph has been an independent education consultant since 2015. She served in multiple positions at the Madera County Office of Education from 2000 to 2015, including associate superintendent, assistant superintendent, division administrator and director of curriculum and instruction. Dolph held multiple positions at the Madera Unified School District from 1977 to 2000, including vice principal, teacher, educational specialist and mentor teacher. She earned a Master of Arts degree in educational leadership and administration from California State University, Fresno. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Dolph is a Democrat.

Sarah Olsen, 60, of Manhattan Beach, has been reappointed to the Commission on State Mandates, where she has served since 2005. Olsen was staff director of Republican Fiscal Committees in the California State Assembly from 1995 to 1999 and principal analyst in the California Legislative Analyst’s Office from 1982 to 1995. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Olsen is a Republican.

Sara Moussavian, 24, of Palo Alto, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where she has served since 2014. Moussavian has been an administrative assistant at the U.S. Department of Labor in San Francisco since 2015. She was an after-school program aide at HOPE Services in 2015 and an emerging leader at Silicon Valley Independent Living Center from 2010 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Moussavian is registered without party preference.

Michael Van Essen, 62, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where he has served since 2014. Van Essen has been an instructor at Saddleback College since 2009. He was corporate director of benefits establishment at Pacific Clinics from 2007 to 2015, an HIV/AIDS educator and benefits specialist at the AIDS Service Center from 2005 to 2014 and a benefits specialist at the AIDS Project Los Angeles from 2003 to 2005. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Van Essen is a Democrat.

Dorothy Jones, 59, of Orinda, has been reappointed to the California State Independent Living Council, where she has served since 2013. Jones has been an independent consultant at AbleAware since 1999. She was a registered nurse for Sutter Health from 2002 to 2011 and a staff nurse at Children’s Hospital Oakland from 1996 to 2001. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Jones is a Democrat.