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Governor Newsom Announces Appointments 3.24.23

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Mark Owens, of Placerville, has been reappointed Chief Counsel at the Office of Systems Integration, where he has served as Chief Counsel since 2016 and has held several roles since 2005, including Attorney V, Attorney IV and Attorney IV Senior Projects Council. Owens held several roles at the California Department of Social Services from 2001 to 2012, including Attorney III, Specialist and Staff Counsel. He was Staff Counsel at the California Department of Corporations in 2001. Owens was Business Development Counsel at 3Com Corporation from 2000 to 2001. He was Corporate and Securities Counsel at Gray, Cary, Ware and Freidenrich from 1999 to 2000. Owens was an Associate at Boutin, Denino, Gibson  DiGiusto and Hodell from 1996 to 1999. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $193,512. Owens is registered without party preference.    

Monica Erickson, of Folsom, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Human Resources. She has served as Deputy Director of Administration at the Department of Health Care Access and Information since 2015. Erickson was a Budget Officer at the Department of Social Services from 2012 to 2015. She held several positions at the Department of Finance from 1999 to 2012, including Principal Program Budget Analyst and Budget Analyst. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $183,768. Erickson is a Democrat.

Mayra E. Alvarez, of San Diego, has been appointed to the Covered California Board of Directors. Alvarez has been President of the Children’s Partnership since 2015. She was Director of the State Exchange Group for the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from 2014 to 2015. Alvarez was an Associate Director of the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Human Services from 2013 to 2014 and Director of Public Health Policy in the Office of Health Reform at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2010 to 2013. Alvarez was a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin from 2007 to 2010 and for U.S. Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis from 2006 to 2007. Alvarez was a Legislative Fellow for U.S. Senator Barack Obama from 2005 to 2006. She is a board member of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the Food Research and Action Center and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Action Fund. She is a member of the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and served on the First 5 California Children and Families Commission from 2019 to 2023. Alvarez earned a Master of Health Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Alvarez is a Democrat.    

James De La Torre, of Altadena, has been appointed to the Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board. De La Torre has been a Physician at Emergent Medical Associates since 2008. He is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. De La Torre earned a Master of Medical Management degree from the University of Southern California and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Harvard Medical School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. De La Torre is a Democrat.   

Jane Kang, of Oakland, has been appointed to the Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board. Kang has been an H-3 Level II Paramedic at the San Francisco Fire Department since 2014. She was an H-3 Level I Paramedic at the San Francisco Fire Department from 2011 to 2014. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Kang is a Democrat.   

David Konieczny, of Santa Clarita, has been appointed to the Paramedic Disciplinary Review Board. Konieczny has been Operations Manager at McCormick Ambulance since 2020, where he was QA/QI Manager and Paramedic Coordinator from 2014 to 2020. He has been a DMAT Health Technician Paramedic at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since 2019. Konieczny held several roles at Hall Ambulance Service Inc. between 2007 and 2014, including Assistant Manager of the Ambulance Division and Paramedic Field Supervisor. He was a Paramedic Firefighter for Queen Anne’s County from 2005 to 2007. Konieczny was a CCT Paramedic at John Hopkins Hospital from 2005 to 2007. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Konieczny is a Democrat.   

Sarahann Shapiro, of San Jose, has been appointed to the California Commission on Disability Access. Shapiro has been Special Counsel at Pahl & McCay since 1994. She has been a Professor at Menlo College since 2018 and is currently Professor in Residence of Real Estate and Director of the Real Estate Center at Menlo College. She is a member of the Building Owners and Managers Association of California, the California Business Properties Association and the Santa Clara County Bar Association. Shapiro earned a Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Political Science from the University of California, Riverside. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Shapiro is a Republican.