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

Meredith McKenzie, 44, of Los Gatos, has been reappointed to the Dental Board of California, where she has served since 2013. McKenzie has been a vice president and deputy general counsel at Juniper Networks since 2012. She was a senior director of intellectual property at the Symantec Corporation from 2006 to 2012, a director of litigation, licensing and intellectual property at Cypress Semiconductor from 2001 to 2006 and corporate counsel and director of intellectual property at Enuvis from 2000 to 2001. McKenzie was an associate at Howrey LLC from 1998 to 2000 and patent agent and design engineer at Intel Corporation from 1993 to 1998. McKenzie earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. McKenzie is registered without party preference.

Noel Kelsch, 58, of Moorpark, has been reappointed to the Dental Hygiene Committee of California, where she has served since 2012. Kelsch has been owner at Noel Brandon Kelsch, Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice since 2008. She has been an infection control columnist at the Registered Dental Hygienist Magazine and an international speaker and consultant since 2002. This position does not require Senate confirmation and compensation is $100 per diem. Kelsch is a Democrat.

Michelle Hurlbutt, 58, of Upland, has been reappointed to the Dental Hygiene Committee of California, where she has served since 2009. Hurlbutt has been dean of dental hygiene at West Coast University since 2015, where she has been an associate professor since 2014. She was an associate professor at Loma Linda University from 1999 to 2014. Hurlbutt earned a Doctor of Health Science degree from Nova Southeastern University and a Master of Science degree in dental hygiene education from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hurlbutt is a Republican.

Sandra Klein, 58, of Irvine, has been reappointed to the Dental Hygiene Committee of California, where she has served since 2015. Klein has been executive director at Congregation B’nai Israel since 2001. She was executive director at YMCA of Orange County from 1997 to 2001, manager provider for support services at Initiatives for Children from 1994 to 1995 and director of the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston's Family Parenting Center from 1986 to 1994. Klein was a management analyst at the U.S. Veterans Administration from 1983 to 1986 and a senior budget analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1980 to 1983. She earned Master of Public Administration and Master of Social Welfare degrees in public administration from Syracuse University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Klein is a Democrat.

Joel Sherman, 58, of Bakersfield, has been reappointed to the California Fraud Assessment Commission, where he has served since 2010. Sherman has been director of safety and workers’ compensation at Grimmway Farms since 2000 and an associate professor for the California State University, Bakersfield Extended University Program since 1997. He was director of workers’ compensation services at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute from 1999 to 2000, workers’ compensation and safety specialist in the Office of Willard B. Christiansen, M.D. from 1991 to 1999 and a claims representative at the State Compensation Insurance Fund from 1979 to 1991. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Sherman is a Republican.

Javier Esquivel-Acosta, 39, of Union City, has been reappointed to the California Physician Assistant Board, where he has served since 2015. Esquivel-Acosta has held several positions at the Foothill Community Health Center since 2011, including director of the Health Education and Nutrition Department and the Innovation Department, associate medical director and clinic supervisor. He was a physician assistant and certified aesthetic consultant at Med Spa from 2011 to 2013 and a bilingual case manager at La Familia Counseling Services from 2007 to 2009. He was a physician in private practice in Zacatecas, Mexico from 2005 to 2007, a health educator at Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center Inc. from 2003 to 2004 and chief of emergency care services at the Hospital General De Jerez in Zacatecas, Mexico from 2001 to 2003, where he was chief of outside consultation from 2000 to 2003. Esquivel-Acosta earned a Foreign Medical degree from the Autonomous University of Zacatecas School of Medicine, a Master of Science degree in medical science from Saint Francis University and a Physician Assistant degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Esquivel-Acosta is registered without party preference.

Charles Alexander, 63, of View Park-Windsor Hills, has been reappointed to the California Physician Assistant Board, where he has served since 2012. Alexander has been associate vice provost for student diversity and director of the academic advancement program at the University of California, Los Angeles since 2006. He was associate dean for student affairs and admissions at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry from 1996 to 2006 and director of multicultural concerns and assistant to the dean of the School of Dentistry at Marquette University from 1990 to 1996. Alexander was associate dean at the college for Brandeis University from 1989 to 1990 and director of multicultural affairs at the Milwaukee Area Technical College from 1988 to 1989. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Alexander is a Democrat.

Michael Bishop, 65, of San Diego, has been reappointed to the California Physician Assistant Board, where he has served since 2012. Bishop has served as an attending anesthesiologist and clinical professor of anesthesiology at the University of California, San Diego since 2006. He was staff anesthesiologist at the Commonwealth Orthopedics Surgery Centers from 2004 to 2006, at Henrico Doctors Hospital from 2003 to 2004, at Fauquier Hospital from 1993 to 2003, at Smyth County Community Hospital in 1993 and at Fredericksburg Anesthesia Associates from 1992 to 1993. Bishop earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bishop is registered without party preference.

Sonya Earley, 49, of La Mirada, has been reappointed to the California Physician Assistant Board, where she has served since 2013. Earley has been a certified insulin pump trainer and consultant for the Animas Corporation since 2013, physician assistant and diabetes educator at the Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group since 2007 and instructor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine since 2004. Earley was a pediatric physician assistant at Los Angeles County Medical Center and the University of Southern California Medical Center from 1996 to 2005, where she was a pediatric resident from 1994 to 1995. Earley earned a Master of Arts degree in biology from California State University, Dominguez Hills. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Earley is registered without party preference.

Rodney Diaz, 42, of Roseville, has been reappointed to the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, where he has served since 2010. Diaz has served as an associate professor at the University of California, Davis Medical Center since 2006. He was a clinical fellow of otology, neurotology and skull base surgery at the Michigan Ear Institute from 2004 to 2006. Diaz earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Diaz is a Democrat.

Patti Solomon-Rice, 60, of Belmont, has been reappointed to the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, where she has served since 2012. Solomon-Rice has been an assistant professor at San Francisco State University since 2011 and a speech and language medical consultant for the U.S. Social Security Administration Center for Disability since 1999. She was a speech-language pathologist in private practice from 1986 to 2011, an instructor at San Francisco State University from 2006 to 2011, a clinic coordinator at San Jose State University from 2001 to 2005 and a clinic coordinator and clinical supervisor at California State University, East Bay from 1994 to 1999. Solomon-Rice was speech pathology director at the Kentfield Medical Hospital from 1984 to 1986, clinic and senior supervisor and staff speech-language pathologist at the San Jose Speech and Hearing Center from 1981 to 1984 and clinical fellowship-required professional experience speech language pathologist at the Center Four Speech Language Hearing Hearing Aids in 1980. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Solomon-Rice is a Democrat.

Amnon Shalev, 68, of Woodland Hills, has been reappointed to the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board, where he has served since 2012. Shalev has been a licensed hearing aid dispenser and co-owner at Supertone Hearing Aid Center since 1985. He was international and regional sales manager at Tadiran Electronic Industries from 1975 to 1985. Shalev was a director of managed care and Medi-Cal affairs at the Hearing HealthCare Providers of California Board from 2006 to 2008. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Shalev is a Democrat.