Governor Schwarzenegger Announces Appointments

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

November 26, 2008

Bill Ainsworth, 47, of Davis, has been appointed deputy director of corporate communications for the California State Lottery. He worked as a capitol correspondent for the San Diego Union Tribune from 1997 to September 2008 and previously held the same position for the San Francisco Recorder from 1990 to 1997 and Sacramento Union from 1988 to 1989. Prior to that, Ainsworth worked as a city reporter for the Valley Times newspaper from 1985 to 1987. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $91,000. Ainsworth is a Democrat.

Dave Carothers, 51, of Carlsbad, has been appointed to the Fair Employment and Housing Commission. He has served as a managing partner at Carlton, DiSante & Freudenberger since 2000. From 1997 to 2000, Carothers was a partner at Chapin, Shea & Carter. He was a partner at McInnis, Fitzgerald, Rees, Sharkey & McIntyre from 1985 to 1997. Carothers is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Southern California School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills. This position requires Senate confirmation and the salary is $100 per diem. Carothers is a Republican.

Rick Caruso, 49, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. He has served as president of Caruso Affiliated since 1985. Caruso currently serves on the Irvine Company Board of Directors, House and Ear Institute Board of Directors, California Hospital Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors and the University of Southern California Board of Trustees. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Caruso is a Republican.

Andrew Guilford, 57, of Trabuco Canyon, has been appointed to the State Bar Commission on Access to Justice. He has served as a U.S. district judge for the Central District of California since 2006. Before that, Guilford worked as an associate, then partner, for Sheppard, Mullin, Richter, & Hampton from 1975 to 2006. He worked as an extern for Justice Lester Roth in 1974. Guilford is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers Association and serves on the board of directors for the Federal Bar Association and is president of both the Business Trial Lawyers of Orange County and the California Bar Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Guilford is a Republican.

Catherine Haagen-Smit, 52, of Newcastle, has been appointed to the Recreational Trails Committee. Prior to retiring in 2007, she served as a paralegal for the Placer County District Attorney's Office from 1991 to 2007 and previously held the same position for the Placer County Public Defender's Office from 1989 to 1990. From 1988 to 1989, Haagen-Smit served as a legal analyst for the California Department of Justice. Prior to that, she worked as a paralegal for Diepenbrock, Wulff, Plant & Hannigan from 1985 to 1988 and as a legal analyst for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation from 1984 to 1985. Haagen-Smit is co-founder and secretary of the Folsom Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition, a member and state representative of the International Mountain Bicycling Association and a member of the California Trails & Greenways Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Haagen-Smit is registered decline-to-state.

Tab Hunter, 77, of Montecito, has been appointed to the Santa Barbara Fair and Expo Board of Directors (19th District Agricultural Association). He has been a theater and film producer since 1985 and writer since 1988. Previously, Hunter was an actor from 1949 to 1995 and starred in over 50 major motion pictures. His recording career included "Young Love." He is a former judge for the American Horse Show Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Hunter is a Republican.

David Israel, 57, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. He has served on the commission since 2005. He has worked as a screenwriter and television producer since 1985. Prior to that, Israel was director of the office of President Peter Ueberroth's Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee in 1984. He was a columnist for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner from 1981 to 1984, syndicated sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune from 1978 to 1981, sports columnist for the Washington (D.C.) Star from 1975 to 1978 and a sports reporter for the Chicago Daily News from 1973 to 1975. Israel is a member of the California Horse Racing Board, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Writers Guild of America. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Israel is a Democrat.

Jeffrey James, 45, of Cotati, has been reappointed to the Sonoma-Marin County Fair Board of Directors (4th District Agricultural Association). He has served on the board of directors since 2004. James has served as a senior financial advisor and assistant vice president for Merrill Lynch since 1994. Additionally, he has owned and been a winegrower at Stony Point Vineyards since 1998. From 1993 to 1994, James served as a registered representative with Mutual of New York and, from 1992 to 1993, he was an account manager with First Data Corporation. From 1987 to 1993, James was a farm manager for Hans Hilleby Farms. He is a member of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, Santa Rosa Junior College Ag Foundation and the Wine Grape Commission. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. James is a Republican.

Maria Elena Kennedy, 50, of Rancho Cucamonga, has been appointed to the Inspection and Maintenance Review Committee. She has been the principal of Kennedy Communications and has contributed to the Riverside Press Enterprise since 2007. Kennedy served as vice president of government affairs for the Baldy View chapter of the Building Industry Association in 2007. From 1997 to 2006, she was a correspondent for Fontana Herald News and a reporter for La Cruz de California a Tijuana based newspaper. In 2000, Kennedy was a correspondent for the Inland Daily Bulletin. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Kennedy is a Republican.

Stuart Leviton, 42, of West Hollywood, has been appointed to the Fair Employment and Housing Commission. He has been a shareholder in the Leviton Law Group since 2004 and has served as a partner at Reed & Davidson since 2006. Prior to that, Leviton was an associate at Levinson, Arshonsky & Kurtz from 1999 to 2004, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe from 1998 to 1999, Folger, Levin & Kahn from 1997 to 1998 and Latham & Watkins from 1993 to 1997. From 1988 to 1990, he was a risk management analyst at Tillinghast. Leviton is a member of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and vice president of the West Hollywood Community Housing Cooperation Board of Directors. He holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Leviton is a Democrat.

Mary Ann Lutz, 48, of Monrovia, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. She has served on the board since 2004. Lutz has served on the Monrovia City Council since 2003 and has owned and served as president of Lutz and Company, Incorporated, an electronic court reporting company, since 1997. Prior to that, she served as the California division manager for Northwest Transcripts, Incorporated from 1988 to 1997 and was human resources manager for J.W. Robinsons from 1984 to 1988 and Green's Department Store from 1982 to 1984. Lutz worked as a phone center customer service representative and supervisor for Pac Bell from 1980 to 1982. Lutz is a member of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments Board, Los Angeles County Division of the California League of California Cities Board and the Los Angeles County Integrated Waste Management Task Force. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lutz is a Democrat.

David March, 68, of Irvine, has been appointed to the Recreational Trails Committee. He has been president of March Consulting since 2002. March worked for Schlobohm Company as vice president and general manager from 1996 to 2001 and as director of sales and marketing from 1990 to 1996. Prior to that, he was vice president of sales and marketing for ABB Composites from 1988 to 1990. From 1985 to 1988, March was marketing manager of the composites division for Pilkington Aerospace. He served as director of marketing for M.C. Gill Corporation from 1978 to 1985. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. March is a Republican.

Henry Mendoza, 49, of San Clemente, has been reappointed to the California State University Board of Trustees. He has served on the board of trustees since 2007. Since 1997, Mendoza has served as managing partner of Mendoza Berger & Company. He previously served as a partner for Strabala, Ramirez & Associates from 1995 to 1997 and was a senior audit manager for Haskell & White from 1986 to 1995. Mendoza served as a senior accountant for Gilbert Vasquez & Company from 1981 to 1986. He is the immediate past chairman of the California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant and California Society of Certified Public Accountants. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Mendoza is a Democrat.

Betty Olson, Ph.D., 61, of Trabuco Canyon, has been appointed to the Western States Water Council. She has served at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) for over 30 years, where she currently holds the position of professor of civil and environmental engineering at UCI's Henri Samueli School of Engineering since 2006. Additionally, she is founding director of the Urban Water Research Center, where she has served as associate director since 2006 and was interim director from 2001 to 2003. From 1996 to 2006, Olson was a professor for the School of Social Ecology in the Department of Environmental Health Science and Policy and served as director for the Environmental Biotechnology Consortium from 1992 to 1995. Prior to that, she held joint positions as a professor in the Department of Biochemical Engineering in the School of Engineering from 1990 to 1996 and the School of Medicine's Department of Community and Environmental Medicine from 1984 to 2000. Olson served as the chair of environmental analysis and design at the School of Social Ecology from 1989 to 1993, assistant vice chancellor for plans and programs from 1982 to 1984 and associate professor for the program in social ecology from 1980 to 1984, where she also served as assistant professor from 1974 to 1980. Additionally, Olson has been a consultant to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Pacific Regional Laboratory Southwest from 2002 to October 2008 and Advanced Technologies Group of Kennedy/Jenks Consultants since 1995. Olson was elected to the Santa Margarita Water District board of directors in 1994, and was reelected in 2008, where she served as treasurer. Previously, she served as an elected member of the Irvine Ranch Water District Board of Directors from 1982 to 1989. Olson is a member of the American Society of Microbiology, American Water Works Association, International Association on Water Pollution Research, American Public Health Association and Society for Industrial Microbiology. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree and a Master of Science degree in environmental health science from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of California, Irvine. This position requires Senate confirmation and the salary is $25 per diem. Olson is registered decline-to-state.

Patricia Perez, 41, of Jamul, has been appointed to the Fair Employment and Housing Commission. She has been president and chief executive officer of Puente Consulting since 2001. Previously, Perez served as in-house employment counsel and human resources manager at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington, D.C. from 2000 to 2001. She was a consultant to the National Center for State Courts in Virginia from 1988 to 2000. Perez was an associate at Barnhorst, Schreiner & Goonan from 1996 to 1998 and Balestreri, Pendleton & Potocki from 1993 to 1996. She is a member and vice chair of the executive committee of the California Bar Association's Labor & Employment Law Section. Perez is also a member of the American Bar Association, Society for Human Resource Management, San Diego County Bar Association, San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, National Association of Women Business Owners and the University of California, Los Angeles Alumni Association. She holds a Juris Doctorate degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Perez is registered decline-to-state.

Marjorie Preston, 77, of Napa, has been reappointed to the Napa Town and Country Fair Board of Directors (25th District Agricultural Association). She has served on the board of directors since 2006. Since 1971, Preston has co-owned of Preston Vineyards. Previously, she worked for Trans World Airlines as a flight attendant from 1955 to 1960. Preston is a member of the board of the Napa Valley Land Stewards. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Preston is a Republican.

Alex Rodriguez, 44, of Santa Barbara, has been reappointed to the Santa Barbara Fair and Expo Board of Directors (19th District Agricultural Association). He has served on the board of directors since 2006. Rodriguez has served as president and chief executive officer of Diversity Consulting Group since 1995. Previously, he was director of strategic services for Hispanic Business Magazine from 1992 to 1995, salesman for Hughes Automotive from 1990 to 1992, sales manager for Fillmore Country Motors from 1987 to 1990 and assistant manager for Hal Watkins Chevrolet from 1986 to 1987. Rodriguez is a member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Rodriguez is a Democrat.

Gordon Shanks, 74, of Seal Beach, has been appointed to the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy Governing Board. He has been a member of the Seal Beach City Council since 2006. Shanks retired in 1983 after a 24 year career as an optometrist for Family Health Plan from 1972 to 1983 and in private practice from 1959 to 1972. He earned a Doctor of Optometry and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $75 per diem. Shanks is a Republican.

Brian Sobel, 54, of Petaluma, has been reappointed to the Sonoma-Marin Fair Board of Directors (4th District Agricultural Association). He has served on the board of directors since 2004. Sobel has served as a consultant for Sobel Communications since 1987. From 1977 to 1987, he was communications supervisor for Fireman's Fund Insurance. Sobel serves on the board of directors of the Bank of Marin and the Golden Gate Bridge Highway Transportation District. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Sobel is a Republican.

Alex Traverso, 32, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant deputy director of the corporate communications for the California State Lottery. Since 2006, he has served as the director of communications for California Assemblymember Lloyd Levine. Additionally, Traverso worked as the media manager for Kevin Johnson's Mayoral Campaign from March 2008 to June 2008. 2004 to 2006, he served as deputy press secretary for former Speaker Fabian Núñez and, from 2003 to 2004, Traverso served as public relations manager at the California Exposition and State Fair. Previously, he served as an assistant press secretary for Governor Gray Davis from 1999 to 2003. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $74,800. Traverso is a Democrat.

Richard Woonacott, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy director for legislative and external affairs at the California State Lottery. He has served as deputy director of legislative and external affairs for the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs since 2007. Woonacott previously served as press secretary for the Chair of the Human Services Committee Jim Beall in the California State Assembly from 2006 to 2007. From 2003 to 2006, he worked as deputy chief of staff to the Assistant Majority Leader Rebecca Cohn in the California State Assembly and, from 2000 to 2003, Woonacott served in state government in a variety of legislative, communication and consulting roles including special consultant to the Governor's Office for Innovation in Government. He was a legislative director in the Governor's Office of Traffic Safety from 1993 to 2000 and, from 1989 to 1992, Woonacott was a peace officer and emergency medical technician for the California Highway Patrol. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $103,950. Woonacott is registered decline-to-state.