Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. Friday announced the following appointments:
Thomas Browning, 62, of North San Juan, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2006. Browning has been battalion chief at the North San Juan Fire Protection District since 2012. He was battalion chief at the Grass Valley Fire Department from 1998 to 2011 and deputy fire marshal at the Nevada County Consolidated Fire District from 1993 to 1998. Browning was a correctional officer for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department from 1991 to 1993. He is a member of the Nevada County Farm Bureau, Nevada County Livestock Producers Association and the Native Sons of the Golden West. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Browning is a Republican.
Ann “Shanti” Emerson, 76, of Nevada City, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2012. Emerson was an instructor at the Academy of Art University from 1996 to 2001 and a teacher at the Paramount Unified School District from 1989 to 1994. She was a teacher at Baldwin Park High School from 1984 to 1989, at Holy Family High School from 1981 to 1984 and at Bishop Conaty High School from 1980 to 1981. Emerson is a member of the Business and Professional Women of Nevada County, American Association of University Women, Soroptimist International of Grass Valley, League of Women Voters of Western Nevada County and the Democratic Women’s Club of Nevada County. She earned a Master of Education degree in English from the United States International University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Emerson is a Democrat.
James Franks, 53, of Grass Valley, has been appointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors. Franks has been a sales representative at First American Title Company since 2010. He was a sales representative at Fidelity National Title Company from 2008 to 2010 and from 1998 to 2007, a loan officer at Olympia Mortgage from 2007 to 2008 and park ranger for the City of Santa Cruz from 1987 to 1998. He is a member of Agricultural Boosters and Livestock Producers. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Franks is a Republican.
Robert “Simi” Lyss, 82, of Nevada City, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2005. Lyss was senior vice president for health affairs and chief medical officer at Health Partners of the Southeast from 1998 to 1999 and regional medical director at Kaiser Permanente’s Northeast Region from 1986 to 1996. Lyss was physician-in-chief and chief of staff at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center from 1975 to 1985 and an assistant physician-in-chief at Kaiser Permanente’s Hayward Medical Center from 1968 to 1975. Lyss earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lyss is a Republican.
Barbara McDonald, 55, of Grass Valley, has been appointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors. McDonald has been a chief workshop manager for Build-A-Bear Workshop since 2011 and owner of La Vida Buena Ranch since 2008. She was a merchandise manager for Barnes and Noble from 2009 to 2011 and president of Garcia Imports Inc. from 1985 to 2008. McDonald is treasurer of the Nevada County Fair Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. McDonald is a Republican.
Jeanette Royal, 65, of Grass Valley, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 1993. She has been a realtor at Network Real Estate since 2003. Royal was a financial consultant at A.G. Edwards and Sons from 2000 to 2003. She was a realtor associate at Alta Sierra Real Estate from 1995 to 2000. Royal was owner and facility manager of Royal Oaks Arabians from 1982 to 1996 and an adult education teacher for the Grant Union High School District from 1977 to 1980. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Royal is a Republican.
Julie Lee, 54, of Newcastle, has been appointed undersecretary of the California Government Operations Agency. Lee has served as director of operations in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. since 2013, where she has served in several positions, including as reorganizational specialist from 2012 to 2013 and project manager of the Governor’s reorganization plan at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency from 2011 to 2012. She was the public information manager at the California Department of Transportation, District 2 from 2009 to 2011 and served in several positions at the California Department of Personnel Administration from 2005 to 2009, including as statewide workforce planning manager, administrative assistant II, executive secretary I and office technician. Lee was an office assistant at the California Highway Patrol from 2004 to 2005 and at the California Department of Corrections from 2003 to 2004. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $185,400. Lee is a Democrat.
Luis Esparza, 39, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the 19th District Agricultural Association, Santa Barbara Fair and Exposition Board of Directors. Esparza has been an attorney at Esparza Law Group P.C. since 2004. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Esparza is registered without party preference.
Teresa McWilliams, 80, of Santa Barbara, has been reappointed to the 19th District Agricultural Association, Santa Barbara Fair and Exposition Board of Directors, where she has served since 2016. McWilliams has been a realtor for Coldwell Banker since 1968. She is a member of the Music Academy of the West. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. McWilliams is a Democrat.
Nancy Melekian, 70, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the 19th District Agricultural Association, Santa Barbara Fair and Exposition Board of Directors. Melekian has been executive show manager at the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show since 2014. She was president and chief executive officer at Milestone Publishing Inc. from 1983 to 2012. She is a member of the Channel City Camera Club, Santa Barbara County Master Gardeners and the American Orchid Society. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Melekian is a Republican.
Marshall Miller, 41, of Santa Barbara, has been reappointed to the 19th District Agricultural Association, Santa Barbara Fair and Exposition Board of Directors, where he has served since 2012. Miller has been vice president of operations at Thornhill Companies since 2010. He was an assistant vice president at CTC Consulting from 2002 to 2005. He is a member of the California Association of Winegrape Growers Board. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Miller is registered without party preference.
Suzanne Perkins, 75, of Santa Barbara, has been reappointed to the 19th District Agricultural Association, Santa Barbara Fair and Exposition Board of Directors, where she has served since 2008. Perkins has been a real estate agent for Compass since 2018. She was a real estate agent at Sotheby's International Realty from 2001 to 2018, at Fred Sands Realtors from 1991 to 2001 and at Perkins Properties LLC from 1979 to 1991. Perkins is a member of the Santa Barbara County Parks Commission. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Perkins is a Republican.
Mary Rose, 61, of Santa Barbara, has been reappointed to the 19th District Agricultural Association, Santa Barbara Fair and Exposition Board of Directors, where she has served since 2012. Rose has been principal consultant at Mary Rose and Associates since 1980. She is a member of the Citizens Planning Association of Santa Barbara County Board of Directors and the Partnership for Resilient Communities Board of Directors. Rose earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California Lutheran University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Rose is a Democrat.
Cecilia Tavera, 43, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the 19th District Agricultural Association, Santa Barbara Fair and Exposition Board of Directors. Tavera was a public affairs specialist in local public affairs and transmission-distribution operations at Southern California Edison from 2007 to 2016, a clinical research associate at Mentor Corporation from 2004 to 2007 and an administrative professional in the University of California, Office of the President from 1998 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Tavera is a Democrat.
Shannon Douglass, 35, of Orland, has been reappointed to the 42nd District Agricultural Association, Glenn County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2014. Douglass has been operator at CalAgJobs since 2011 and co-owner of Douglass Ranch since 2005. She was an outreach coordinator at the California State University, Chico College of Agriculture from 2005 to 2009. Douglass is a member of California Women for Agriculture and the California Farm Bureau Federation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Douglass is a Republican.
Evan Hutson, 30, of Willows, has been appointed to the 42nd District Agricultural Association, Glenn County Fair Board of Directors. Hutson has been an owner and agent for Hutson Agency Inc. since 2012. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Huston is a Republican.
Ray Mudd, 58, of Willows, has been appointed to the 42nd District Agricultural Association, Glenn County Fair Board of Directors. Mudd has been an events manager at Thunderhill Raceway Park since 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Mudd is a Republican.
Candice Pierce, 38, of Orland, has been reappointed to the 42nd District Agricultural Association, Glenn County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2016. Pierce has been a teacher for the Princeton Joint Unified School District since 2017. She was a substitute teacher for the Glenn County Office of Education from 2005 to 2007. She is a member of the Capay Parent Teacher Organization and Orland Little League Baseball. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Pierce is a Democrat.
