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

Nancy Bargmann, 54, of Long Beach, has been appointed director at the California Department of Developmental Services, where she was deputy director of the Community Services Division from 2012 to 2015. Bargmann has been associate executive director at the San Gabriel-Pomona Regional Center since 2015. She held several positions at Home Ownership for Personal Empowerment Inc. from 2009 to 2012, including executive director and business consultant and held several positions at the MENTOR Network from 1998 to 2009, including vice president of operations, vice president of business development and California state director. She held several positions at the Inland Regional Center from 1985 to 1998, including community services director, resource manager, adult services program manager and consumer services coordinator. Bargmann earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Pepperdine University School of Business and Management and a Master of Science degree in social work from San Diego State University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $186,572. Bargmann is a Republican.

Jeffrey Callison, 54, of Lincoln, has been appointed assistant secretary of communications at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as acting assistant secretary of communications since 2015 and was press secretary from 2011 to 2015. Callison held several positions at Capital Public Radio from 1996 to 2011, including radio host of a daily public affairs program, news director and reporter. He was communications director for the California Wild Heritage Campaign in 2000. Callison earned a Master of Arts degree in philosophy and English literature from the University of Edinburgh. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $123,504. Callison is a legal permanent resident of the United States, and therefore not registered to vote.

Vicky Waters, 41, of Sacramento, has been appointed press secretary at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Waters has been vice president of public affairs at Ogilvy Public Relations since 2015. She was deputy director of public affairs at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2012 to 2015, director of media relations at the California Charter Schools Association from 2009 to 2012 and an account executive at BPcubed Inc. from 2007 to 2009. Waters was a freelance journalist, independent public relations consultant and translator from 2003 to 2009. She was Sacramento correspondent at La Opinión from 2001 to 2003, an anchor, reporter and producer at Univision Sacramento from 2000 to 2001, evening anchor, reporter and producer at Univision Corpus Christi from 1998 to 2000 and news editor and broadcast operator at WRAL-TV from 1996 to 1998. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $117,012. Waters is a Democrat.

Catalina Hayes-Bautista, 33, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary for legislative affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Hayes-Bautista has been a principal consultant on environmental issues in the Office of California State Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins since 2015. She served as legislative director in the Office of California State Senator Ricardo Lara from 2011 to 2015, legislative aide in the Office of California State Assemblymember Fiona Ma from 2007 to 2011 and as a California Latino Caucus Institute Polanco Fellow from 2006 to 2007. Hayes-Bautista was a development assistant at New America Media from 2004 to 2006. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $120,504. Hayes-Bautista is a Democrat.

Khaim Morton, 43, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary for legislation at the California Government Operations Agency. Morton has been capitol director in the Office of California State Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer, Sr. since 2015, where he was senior assistant in 2013. He served as chief of staff in the Office of California State Assemblymember Sebastian Ridley-Thomas from 2014 to 2015, where he was legislative director in 2014. Morton was a legislative consultant for the Office of California State Senator Alex Padilla from 2007 to 2013 and field deputy in the Los Angeles City Council President’s Office from 2003 to 2007. He served as mayoral aide and senior constituent services representative in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office from 2001 to 2003. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $120,504. Morton is a Democrat.

Dana Christine Simas, 29, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant director for communications and public affairs at the California Department of Child Support Services. Simas has been an information officer in the Office of Public and Employee Communications at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2014, where she has held several positions since 2010, including special assistant to the superintendent at the Northern California Youth Correctional Center. She was deputy press secretary at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2008 to 2010. Simas is communications director for the California Renters Caucus and a member at the California State Information Officers Council and the Public Relations Society of America. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $90,996. Simas is a Democrat.

Julia Montgomery, 45, of Elk Grove, has been appointed general counsel at the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board. Montgomery has been assistant chief counsel at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing since 2015, where she was senior staff counsel from 2013 to 2015. She was a managing attorney at the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation Inc. from 2002 to 2013, where she was directing attorney from 2001 to 2002 and a staff attorney from 1996 to 2000. Montgomery earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $162,048. Montgomery is a Democrat.

Norlyn Serrano Asprec, 30, of Sacramento, has been appointed marketing and outreach director at the California Health Professions Education Foundation. Asprec has been a legislative aide in the Office of California State Assemblymember Susan Bonilla since 2013. She was a peer academic counselor at the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions’ Center for Academic Success from 2010 to 2012 and a capital fellow in the Office of California State Senator Mark DeSaulnier from 2009 to 2010. Asprec earned a Master of Arts degree in creative arts therapy from Drexel University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $56,352. Asprec is a Democrat.

Pete Sanchez, 65, of Suisun City, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Sanchez has been mayor of Suisun City since 2006. He was a member of the Suisun City Council from 1994 to 2005, supervising auditor and appraiser at the Solano County Assessor’s Office from 1983 to 2006, director at the North Bay Regional Center from 1998 to 2004 and an auditor-appraiser at the Alameda County Assessor’s Office from 1982 to 1983. Sanchez was a California sales tax auditor at the California State Board of Equalization, Oakland District Office from 1980 to 1982, a bank examiner at Central Bank of the Philippines from 1976 to 1979 and an accountant at Banco Filipino from 1973 to 1975. He is a member of the Northern Solano County Democratic Club and director of the Solano First Federal Credit Union. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Sanchez is a Democrat.

Martha Garcia, 57, of Oxnard, has been appointed to the California State Board of Optometry. Garcia has been an optical manager at Sam’s Club Optical since 2008. She was an associate at Downtown Disney Sunglass Icon from 2006 to 2007 and at JC Penney Optical from 2005 to 2006, at Sears Optical from 2004 from 2005 and at diModa from 2002 to 2004. Garcia is a member of the California State Society for Opticians. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Garcia is a Democrat.

Cindy Heffren, 66, of Chico, has been appointed to the 3rd District Agricultural Association, Silver Dollar Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2006 and served from 1987 to 2002. Heffren was an elementary school teacher for the Chico Unified School District from 1996 to 2011. She is a member of the Omega Nu Sorority and California Women for Agriculture. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Heffren is a Republican.

Michael Doherty, 46, of Arbuckle, has been appointed to the 44th District Agricultural Association, Colusa County Fair Board of Directors. He has been owner at Grindstone Wines LLC since 2010, owner and president at Chamisal Creek Ranch LLC since 2008 and a partner at Doherty Brothers Farms since 1991. Doherty is a member of the Colusa County Farm Bureau. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Doherty is a Republican.