Last Friday, Governor Newsom announced the following appointments:
William Kissinger, 59, of Mill Valley, has been reappointed to the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2012. Kissinger has been a partner at Morgan Lewis and Bockius since 2014. He was a partner at Bingham McCutchen from 2003 to 2014, senior deputy legal affairs secretary in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 2001 to 2003, senior advisor for international economic policy for the National Economic Council at the White House from 2000 to 2001 and special assistant to the legal adviser at the U.S. Department of State from 1997 to 2000. Kissinger was an associate and then a partner at McCutchen Doyle Brown and Enersen from 1989 to 1997 and a staff attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 1987 to 1988. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Kissinger is a Democrat.
Michael Johnston, 67, of Watsonville, has been reappointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2011. Johnston was a consultant for Teamsters Local 890 and Teamsters Joint Council 7 from 2012 to 2017. He was campaign co-coordinator for Anna Caballero for Assembly in 2016, a consultant for Teamsters Local 948 and the California Teamsters State Council of Cannery and Food Processing Unions in 2011 and Salinas campaign coordinator for Anna Caballero for California State Senate in 2010. Johnston was campaign coordinator in the strategic research and campaigns department for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 2006 to 2009 and a business representative for Teamsters Local 890 from 1988 to 2005. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Johnston is a Democrat.
Jean-Pierre Wolff, 70, of San Luis Obispo, has been reappointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2010. Wolff has been a viticulturist and owner of Wolff Vineyards since 1999. He was an independent technology consultant from 2000 to 2002, senior vice president at Global Energy Services from 1998 to 2000, and vice president and corporate officer at Electro-Test Inc. from 1981 to 1998. Wolff was a field and power system engineer at Westinghouse Electric Corporation from 1977 to 1981 and a design engineer at Darmsted-Parenti and Associates from 1973 to 1977. Wolff is vice president of the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District, chairman of the San Luis Obispo County Agriculture Liaison Advisory Board, and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in science and technology from Walden University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation $250 per diem. Wolff is a Republican.
Mark Bradford, 65, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2018. Bradford was principal at ERM-West Inc. from 1992 to 2016 and program director at Ecology and Environment Inc. from 1979 to 1992. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Bradford is a Democrat.
Henry Abarbanel, 76, of Del Mar, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2011. Abarbanel has been a professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego and a research physicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography since 1983. He served as a member of the Del Mar City Council from 2000 to 2008 and from 1992 to 1996. Abarbanel earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in physics from Princeton University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Abarbanel is a Democrat.
Eric Anderson, 62, of Elfin Forest, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2004. Anderson has been an agronomist and vice president of La Costa Flower Shop and Nursery since 1978. He has been a member of the board of directors of the San Diego County Farm Bureau since 1992. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Anderson is a Libertarian.
Natalie Arroyo, 35, of Eureka, has been appointed to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation. Arroyo has been a lecturer at Humboldt State University since 2017, a member of the Eureka City Council since 2014 and a senior planner for the Natural Resources Services Division at the Redwood Community Action Agency since 2007. She has been a marine science technician 2nd Class for the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves since 2012. Arroyo was an AmeriCorps service member in the AmeriCorps Watershed Stewards Program from 2006 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Arroyo is a Democrat.
Cynthia Guzmán, 32, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2016. Guzmán has been a principal at Estolano Advisors since 2018, where she has held several positions since 2012, including senior associate, associate and research analyst. Guzmán earned a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Affairs. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Guzmán is a Democrat.
Irma Munoz, 67, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2011. Munoz has been founder and president of Mujeres de la Tierra since 2007. She was a senior manager at TreePeople from 2001 to 2003 and national director of marketing and customer service at the U.S. Small Business Administration from 1994 to 2000. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Munoz is a Democrat.
Donald Jardine, 68, of Markleeville, has been reappointed to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2008. Jardine has served as a member of the Alpine County Board of Supervisors since 1987. He held multiple positions at the California Department of Transportation from 1986 to 2006, including supervisor, equipment operator and lead worker. Jardine is a member of the Carson Water Subconservancy District Board of Directors. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Jardine is a Republican.
Peter Pumphrey, 73, of Chalfant, has been reappointed to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2011. Pumphrey served as a deputy district attorney in the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office from 2001 to 2004 and was a deputy public defender in the San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office from 1991 to 2001. He was an attorney in the Law Offices of Peter C. Pumphrey from 1973 to 1991. Pumphrey earned a Juris Doctor degree from Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Pumphrey is a Democrat.
Kelli Gant, 61, of Trinity Center, has been reappointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2015. Gant was owner and president of the Tangella Corporation from 1997 to 2018. She was director of technical publications and training at Avolent from 1999 to 2003 and director of project management at Vision Software from 1995 to 1996. Gant held multiple positions at Unify Corporation from 1983 to 1995, including director of communications, manager of publications and technical writer. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Gant is a Republican.
Edward Muzik, 68, of Indian Wells, has been reappointed to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2007. Muzik has been general manager of the Hi-Desert Water District of Yucca Valley since 2007, where he was chief financial officer from 2002 to 2006. He was director of operations and finance at Vicom Systems Inc. from 1993 to 2002 and a controller at Ashford Development from 1990 to 1993 and at Cobble Knoll from 1985 to 1990. Muzik was accounting supervisor at Motorola from 1984 to 1985 and at S&C Electric from 1978 to 1984. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Muzik is registered without party preference.
Jayne Powell, 66, of Rancho Mirage, has been reappointed to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2015. Powell has been an environmental and aggregate resources manager at Granite Construction Inc. since 2007. She was owner and environmental consultant at Resource Recovery Inc. from 2003 to 2006 and an environmental safety and quality manager at Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation, now Tetra Tech, from 1997 to 2003. Powell was an environmental engineering group manager for Dames and Moore from 1990 to 1997 and an environmental manager at the Atlas Powder Company from 1988 to 1990. She is a member of the California Stormwater Quality Association. Powell earned a Master of Science degree in biology from Murray State University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Powell is a Republican.
Tom Rivera, 80, of Grand Terrace, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2012. Rivera held multiple positions at California State University, San Bernardino from 1972 to 2011, including associate dean of undergraduate studies, associate dean of education support services and assistant professor of education. He was a counselor and human resources coordinator at San Bernardino Valley College from 1970 to 1972 and an elementary school teacher at the Rialto Unified School District from 1965 to 1970. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1963 to 1965. Rivera earned a Doctor of Education degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Arts degree in education, elementary teaching from California State University, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Rivera is a Democrat.
William Ruh, 60, of Montclair, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2001. Ruh has been director of government affairs for the Citrus Valley Association of Realtors since 2001 and a member of the Montclair City Council since 1998. He was a consultant to the joint legislative committee on the Alameda Corridor East from 1999 to 2001, a field representative for Congressman Jay Kim from 1995 to 1999 and a constituent affairs representative for Assemblymember Fred Aguiar from 1993 to 1995. Ruh was executive director of Project Home Run from 1991 to 1993 and director of government relations for the Building Industry Association, Baldy View Region from 1988 to 1991. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Ruh is a Republican.
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