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Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 2.25.21


SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Stacy L. Lopez, 51, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Director for the Division of Administrative Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Lopez has served as Deputy Director of Peace Officer Selection and Employee Development at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2019, where she served as Associate Director from 2013 to 2019. Lopez held several positions at the Division of Administrative Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2012, including Associate Director of the Office of Resource Planning and Associate Director of the Office of Business Services. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $181,356. Lopez is a Democrat.

Jason J. Lowe, 49, of Galt, has been appointed Deputy Director of Operations and Programs at the Division of Juvenile Justice at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has served as Acting Deputy Director since 2020. Lowe held several positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2020, including Deputy Director of Training, Enhancement and Development for the Division of Juvenile Justice in 2020, Academy Administrator and Academy Commander for the Office of Training and Professional Development from 2015 to 2020, Custody Captain for the California Health Care Facility from 2013 to 2015, Captain and Special Assistant to the Director of Administrative Services in 2013, and Correctional Counselor II and Correctional Lieutenant for the Contract Beds Unit from 2009 to 2013. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $163,776. Lowe is registered without party preference.

Vicky Waters, 46, of Sacramento, has been appointed Assistant Secretary and Special Advisor in the Office of Public and Employee Communications at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Waters has served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2020. She was Press Secretary at the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom from 2019 to 2020. Waters was Press Secretary at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2016 to 2019. She was Vice President of Public Affairs at Ogilvy Public Relations from 2015 to 2016 and Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2012 to 2015. Waters was 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. She was a Freelance Journalist, Independent Public Relations Consultant and Translator from 2003 to 2009. Waters 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 $165,000. Waters is a Democrat.

Patrick G. Eaton, 49, of Sonora, has been appointed Warden at the Sierra Conservation Center, where he has served as Acting Warden since 2019 and Chief Deputy Warden since 2018. Eaton held several positions at the Sierra Conservation Center from 2002 to 2018, including Correctional Administrator and Associate Warden, Correctional Captain, Correctional Lieutenant and Correctional Sergeant. He held several positions at the Central California Women’s Facility from 1999 to 2002, including Correctional Sergeant and Correctional Officer. Eaton was Correctional Officer at Salinas Valley State Prison from 1996 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $162,024. Eaton is a Republican.

Grady E. Joseph, 31, of Sacramento, has been appointed Assistant Director of Logistics Management at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Joseph has been Assistant Director of Recovery Operations at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services since 2019. He was a Deputy Program Manager at Serco Inc in 2019. Joseph was a Disaster Recovery Consultant from 2017 to 2019. He held several positions at the Federal Emergency Management Agency from 2013 to 2017, including Regional Coordination Lead and Deputy Operations Officer within the Recovery Directorate. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $148,800. Joseph is a Democrat.

Garth D. Fernandez, 53, of Fresno, has been appointed Central Valley Regional Director at the California High-Speed Rail Authority, where he has served as Interim Central Valley Regional Director and Principal Transportation Engineer since 2020. Fernandez held several positions at the California Department of Transportation from 1998 to 2020, including Project Manager, Acting Deputy District Director, Senior Transportation Engineer and Transportation Engineer. He was a Civil Engineer at Krazan and Associates from 1996 to 1998. Fernandez earned a Master of Science in transportation management from San Jose State University. He is a member of the Project Management Institute. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $210,000. Fernandez is registered without party preference.

Frolan R. Aguiling, 44, of Rocklin, has been reappointed Chief Counsel at the California Department of Human Resources, where he has served in that position since 2016 and was Acting Chief Counsel in 2016. He held several positions at the California Department of Human Resources, where he served as Deputy Chief Counsel from 2014 to 2016 and Assistant Chief Counsel from 2012 to 2014. Aguiling held several positions at the Department of Personnel Administration, where he was Labor Relations Counsel from 2005 to 2012 and a Law Clerk from 2003 to 2004. He was an Associate at Mastagni, Holstedt, Amick, Miller, Johnson & Uhrhammer in 2005 and a Law Clerk/Contact Attorney at Legal Paradigm in 2005. Aguiling earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Aguiling was confirmed to this position by the Senate in 2016 and the compensation is $186.132. Aguiling is a Democrat.

Adria L. Jenkins-Jones, 56, of Elk Grove, has been reappointed Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Human Resources, where she has served in that position since 2018. Jenkins-Jones was Chief of the Selection Division at the California Department of Human Resources from 2015 to 2018. She served in several positions at the Department of Finance from 1993 to 2015, including Chief of Human Resources, Associate Personnel Analyst, Executive Assistant, Chief of Recruitment and Selection, Associate Personnel Analyst/Staff Service Analyst and Examination Technician. Jenkins-Jones was confirmed to this position by the Senate in 2019 and the compensation is $176,628. Jenkins-Jones is registered without party preference.

Kristen E. Kane, 37, of Sacramento, has been reappointed Chief Counsel in the Office of Tax Appeals, where she has served in that position since 2017 and was Acting Director in 2017. She was Deputy Director of the California Competes Tax Credit Program at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development from 2016 to 2017. Kane served as Tax Counsel at the California Franchise Tax Board from 2010 to 2016, where she was a Graduate Legal Assistant in 2008. She was an Attorney at the Legal Aid Society of San Diego from 2009 to 2010. Kane earned a Master of Laws degree in taxation and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Diego School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $183,000. Kane is a Democrat.

Alina M. Bokde, 50, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board, where she has served since 2018. Bokde has been Chief Deputy Director at the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation since 2020, where she served as Deputy Director for Planning and Development from 2017 to 2020.  She was Executive Director at Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust from 2010 to 2016, Deputy Executive Director at the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy from 2007 to 2009 and Project Manager at Trust for Public Land from 2001 to 2006. Bokde earned a Master of Arts degree in community and regional planning from the University of New Mexico. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bokde is a Democrat.

Fran Pavley, 72, of Agoura Hills, has been reappointed to the Wildlife Conservation Board, where she has served since 2017. Pavley has been Environmental Policy Director at the USC Schwarzenegger Institute since 2018. She was a California State Senator from 2008 to 2016, a California State Assemblymember from 2000 to 2006 and Mayor and Councilmember of the City of Agoura Hills from 1982 to 1997. Pavley is a member of the New Energy Nexus and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy boards and an advisory member at the UCLA Law School Emmett Climate Institute. She earned a Master of Arts degree in environmental planning from California State University, Northridge. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Pavley is a Democrat.

Silvia Paz, 37, of Thermal, has been appointed to the Blue Ribbon Commission on Lithium Extraction in California. Paz has been Executive Director and Founder at Alianza Coachella Valley since 2019. She was Director at Building Healthy Communities Eastern Coachella Valley from 2013 to 2019. Paz was District Policy Director in the Office of Assemblymember V. Manuel Perez from 2010 to 2013. She was Project Coordinator at the Harvard University Planning Office from 2008 to 2009. Paz was a Teacher at the Coachella Valley Unified School District from 2005 to 2007 and from 2009 to 2010. She is a Trustee at Coachella Valley Unified School District; Co-Chair at Salton Sea Management Plan Engagement Committee; and Director of Desert Recreation District. Paz earned a Master of Public Policy degree in economic development and transportation from Harvard University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Paz is a Democrat.

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