Governor Newsom announces appointments 10.10.24

Governor Newsom announces appointments 10.10.24

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Kristen Erickson-Donadee, of Folsom, has been appointed Director of the California Department of Child Support Services. Erickson-Donadee has been Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Child Support Services since 2020 and has served in several roles there since 2009, including Chief Counsel, Assistant Chief Counsel, Attorney and Contract Attorney. She was an Attorney at the Sierra Nevada Regional Department of Child Support from 2006 to 2012. Erickson-Donadee earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from California State University, Sonoma. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $226,334. Erickson-Donadee is a Democrat.

Jay Wierenga, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency. Wierenga has served as Communications Director at the California Fair Political Practices Commission since 2014. He was Principal at Jay Alan Communications from 2012 to 2014. Wierenga was Vice-President at Aderfo Group from 2011 to 2012. He was a Strategic Communications Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2011 to 2012. Wierenga served as Director of Communication and Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the California Governor's Office of Homeland Security from 2007 to 2011. He was Director of Communications at the California Conservation Corps in 2007. Wierenga was an Anchor, Co-Host and Managing Editor at KFBK-AM from 2003 to 2007. He was an Anchor at KTXL-TV from 2000 to 2003 and at KHPO-TV from 1995 to 1999. Wierenga is a member of the KVIE-TV Community Advisory Board. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Radio and TV from Dordt University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $160,200. Wierenga is a Democrat.

Hayley Figeroid, of Carmichael, has been appointed Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Office of Data and Innovation, where she has served as Head of Government Relations since 2022. Figeroid held several positions at Covered California from 2018 to 2022, including Assistant Deputy Director of Plan Management, Senior Manager of Distribution Services and Manager of the Certification Services Team. She was an Exam Specialist at the Contractors State License Board from 2016 to 2018. Figeroid was a Provider Enrollment Analyst at the California Department of Health Care Services from 2015 to 2016. She was an English Teacher at St. Francis High School from 2010 to 2015. Figeroid is a member of California Women Lead and the Sacramento State Alumni Association. She earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Administration and Leadership from Concordia University, a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of San Francisco. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $165,000. Figeroid is registered without party preference.

Ludmil Alexandrov, of San Diego, has been appointed to the Carcinogen Identification Committee. Alexandrov has been Chief Scientific Officer at io9 since 2021, and a Professor at the University of California, San Diego since 2017. He was a J Robert Oppenheimer Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow at the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 2014 to 2017. Alexandrov was a Consultant at Deloitte from 2007 to 2009. He is a member of the American Association for Advancement of Science, the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Statistical Association, and the International Society for Computational Biology. Alexandrov earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Cancer Genetics from the University of Cambridge, a Master of Science degree in Computational Biology from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Neumont College of Computer Science. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Alexandrov is registered without party preference.

Dean Felsher, of San Mateo, has been appointed to the Carcinogen Identification Committee. Felsher has been an Oncologist, Cancer Scientist and Professor at Stanford University since 1999 and Director of Translational Research and Applied Medicine since 2011. He was an Oncology Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco from 1994 to 1999. Felsher earned a Doctor of Medicine degree in Medicine and Molecular Biology and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from the University of Chicago. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Felsher is a Democrat.

Mark Toney, of Lakeport, has been reappointed to the State Bar of California Board of Trustees, where he has served since 2020. Toney has been Executive Director of The Utility Reform Network since 2008. He was Executive Director of the Center for Third World Organizing from 2000 to 2004 and Executive Director of Direct Action for Rights and Equality from 1986 to 1994. He was Lead Organizer at Workers' Association for Guaranteed Employment from 1982 to 1985. Toney is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Whistleblower Center. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Brown University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $50 per diem. Toney is a Democrat.

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