Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Stephanie Clendenin, 48, of Antelope, has been appointed director of the Department of State Hospitals, where she has served as acting director since 2018. Clendenin was chief deputy director of the Department of State Hospitals from 2015 to 2018. She held multiple positions at the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, including chief deputy director from 2011 to 2015, acting director from 2011 to 2012, acting chief deputy director from 2009 to 2011 and chief information officer and deputy director from 2007 to 2009. She was interim executive director of the Health Professions Education Foundation from 2006 to 2007 and staff services manager II at the Healthcare Workforce and Community Development Division in the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in 2006. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $215,124. Clendenin is a Republican.
Stirling Price, 62, of Dixon, has been appointed chief deputy director of the Department of State Hospitals, where he has served as acting chief deputy director since 2018. Price was executive director of the Atascadero State Hospital from 2015 to 2018. He was interim deputy director for forensic services at the Department of State Hospitals in 2014 and executive director of the Stockton California Health Care Facility from 2012 to 2014. Price held multiple positions at the Vacaville Psychiatric Program, including executive director from 2011 to 2012, assistant executive director from 2006 to 2010, program director from 2003 to 2006 and program assistant from 1998 to 2003. He was a clinical social worker at the California Department of Mental Health from 1991 to 1998. Price earned a Master of Arts degree in social work from California State University, Sacramento. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $177,168. Price is a Democrat.
Douglas Parker, 50, of San Francisco, has been appointed chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Parker has been executive director of Worksafe since 2016. He was deputy assistant secretary of labor at the Mine Safety and Health Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2014 to 2015 and senior policy advisor and special assistant at the U.S. Department of Labor from 2009 to 2014. Parker was a partner at Mooney, Green, Baker & Saindon from 2005 to 2009, where he was an associate from 2000 to 2005. He was a staff attorney at the United Mine Workers of America from 1997 to 2000, a sales and marketing director at Custom Engineering and Sales from 1993 to 1994 and radio press director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee from 1992 to 1993. Parker was a radio press operations manager for the Democratic National Committee in 1992 and a staff assistant in the Office of Senator Paul Wellstone from 1991 to 1992. Parker earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $176,004. Parker is a Democrat.
Mary Hernandez, 52, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy secretary of legislation at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Hernandez has been executive director of Service Employees’ International Union, Local 1000 since 2018, where she was deputy chief of staff for government affairs from 2014 to 2018. She was deputy appointments secretary in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2012 to 2014. Hernandez is a member of the Sacramento Stonewall Democratic Club. She earned a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Los Vegas. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $155,256. Hernandez is a Democrat.
Aida Cardenas, 45, of Culver City, has been appointed deputy director of equity, climate and jobs at the California Workforce Development Board. Cardenas has been executive director of the Building Skills Partnership since 2009. She held multiple positions at the Service Employees International Union, Local 1877 from 1997 to 2009, including staff director, education director, coordinator and organizer. Cardenas is a member of the United States Green Building Council, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $125,436. Cardenas is a Democrat.
