SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments: 

Susan Masten, 70, of Klamath, has been appointed Supervisor for the 5th District of the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors. Masten is a local business owner and was Chair of the Yurok Tribe from 1998 to 2003, as well as Vice Chair from 2012 to 2015 and 2007 to 2010. She served on the Yurok Interim Council from 1991 to 1994 and was a member of the Yurok Transition Team from 1988 to 1991. She was Vice President of the Native American Market at Union Bank of California from 2003 to 2007. Masten is co-president of Women Empowering Women for Indigenous Nations and co-chair of the Red Nation International Film Festival Board of Directors. She is a former chair of the Board of Directors of the North Coast Small Business Development Center and past president of the Klamath Chamber of Commerce. This position does not require Senate confirmation. Masten is a Democrat.

Rajan Gill, 29, of Yuba City, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, where he has served since 2013. Gill has been an Adjunct Professor of History at Yuba College since 2019 and a Managing Partner at Gill Ranches since 2010. He was Lead Researcher at Kesar Singh Dhillon Ghadar Memorial Trust in 2012. Gill earned a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Gill is a Democrat.

Helen Lee, 66, of Cerritos, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, where she has served as Vice Chair and Secretary since 2016. Lee was a Consultant for the Regional Government Services Authority in 2014, a Supervisor at the Los Angeles County Department of Human Resources from 2005 to 2012 and a Principal Consultant at H. Lee Associates from 2002 to 2005. She was Director of Recruitment Services at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region from 1990 to 2002, a Management Analyst for the City of Los Angeles from 1980 to 1990 and a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at Asian Rehabilitation Service Inc. from 1977 to 1980. Lee earned a Master of Science degree in Education Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lee is a Democrat.

Cirian Villavicencio, 42, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, where he has served since 2014 and was Chair from 2015 to 2016. Villavicencio has been Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at San Joaquin Delta College since 2012 and an Adjunct Professor at American River College and Folsom Lake College since 2007. He is a member of the California Teachers Association, Improve Your Tomorrow, Sacramento Filipino Political Action Committee, and the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California and a Doctor of Education Degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Wyoming. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Villavicencio is a Democrat.

David Yee, 48, of Granite Bay, has been appointed to the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. Yee has been a Urologist and Urologic Oncologist for Sutter Medical Group since 2011 and has served on its Board of Directors since 2022. He has been a Clinical Instructor at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine since 2022 and also served as a Clinical Instructor there from 2011 to 2018. Yee has been an Assistant Clinical Professor at the California Northstate University College of Medicine since 2022. He served as a Clinical Instructor at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 2008 to 2010 and at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center from 2007 to 2008. Yee is secretary of the Sutter Roseville Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees and a member of the California Medical Association, American Urological Association, Society of Urologic Oncology, Sacramento Yee Family Association and the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Association. Yee earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health. He completed his Urology Residency and Robotic Surgery Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center and his Urologic Oncology Fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Yee is a Republican.

Dwight H. Bateman, 61, of Modesto, has been appointed to the State Independent Living Council. Bateman held several positions at the Department of Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2020, including Grant Administrator, Volunteer Appeals Board Member and Volunteer Disaster Services, Functional Assessment Service Team Member. He held several positions at the State Independent Living Center from 1995 to 2007, including Executive Director, Service Provider and Board Member. Bateman is a member of the National Council for Independent Living and Stanislaus County of In-Home Supportive Services Advisory Committee. He is chair of the Rehabilitation Appeals Board. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bateman is a Democrat. 

M. Lisa Hayes, 60, of Bellflower, has been appointed Chair of the State Independent Living Council, and has also been appointed to serve on the State Rehabilitation Council. Hayes has been Executive Director at Rolling Start Inc. since 2019. She held several positions at Molina Healthcare between 2007 and 2017, including Associate Vice President of MLTSS, Director of Disability and Senior Access Services, Manager of Senior and Disability Programs and Manager of Provider Contract Review. Hayes was Project Manager at United Health Care from 2000 to 2007. She was contract Manager at PacifiCare Health Systems from 2000 to 2006. These positions do not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hayes is a Democrat.

Sara Abdrabou, 33, of Hesperia, has been appointed to the State Rehabilitation Council. Abdrabou has been a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor – Qualified Rehabilitation Professional since 2016. Abdrabou was an Early Intervention Specialist at The MENTOR Network from 2015 to 2016. She was a Counseling Intern for Disabled Program Services at Chaffey College from 2014 to 2015. Abdrabou was a Paraprofessional at Hope Counseling and Family Therapy from 2014 to 2015. She is a member of the Rehabilitation Advisory Board at California State University, San Bernardino. Abdrabou earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from California State University, San Bernardino. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Abdrabou is not registered to vote.

Elizabeth Lewis, 37, of Roseville, has been appointed to the State Rehabilitation Council. Lewis has been Senior Recruiter for Union Pacific Railroad since 2011. She was an Employment Specialist at Nebraska Vocational Rehabilitation from 2009 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lewis is a Democrat.

Nicole Adler, 27, of Redwood City, has been reappointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities where she has served since 2018. Adler is an active member of the Redwood City Women’s Club. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Adler is a Democrat.

Julie Neward, 41, of San Marcos, has been reappointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where she has served since 2019. Neward has been Property Manager for Federal Realty Investment Trust since 2020. She was Portfolio Manager for Kilroy Realty from 2019 to 2020, Property Manager for Urban Retail from 2016 to 2019 and General Manager for Madison Marquette from 2015 to 2016. Neward was Property Manager at Macerich from 2014 to 2015, Property Manager for Shea Properties in 2014 and Assistant Property Manager at Westfield from 2009 to 2014. Neward is a Board member and founder of The California Sibling Leadership Network, “CaliforniaSibs” and Project Founder of The Natalie Project. She earned an International Master of Business Administration degree from the University of San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Neward is a Democrat.

Alejandro “Alex” Reyes, 35, of Fremont, has been appointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Reyes has been a Campus Supervisor for the Fremont Unified School District since 2015. He has been Owner of DJ Alex Reyes Entertainment since 2001. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Reyes is a Democrat.

Wesley Witherspoon, 49, of Inglewood, has been reappointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, where he has served since 2018. Witherspoon has been a Consumer Advocate at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, USC UCEDD since 2006. He is an active member of the Community Emergency Response Team. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Witherspoon is a Democrat.

Eric Ybarra, 52, of Stockton, has been appointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Ybarra was a Contracted Surveyor for the State Council on Developmental Disabilities in 2021. He has been an active member of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities Regional Advisory Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Ybarra is a Republican.

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