Vacant
California Housing Finance Agency
Council Member
Vacant
California Community Colleges
Council Member
Vacant
California Department of Rehabilitation
Council Member
Lourdes M. Castro Ramírez
California Governor Newsom appointed Lourdes Castro Ramírez to serve as Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency on March 2, 2020. She leads and oversees 11 entities responsible for expanding affordable housing, developing comprehensive solutions to end homelessness, guarding civil rights protections, regulating banking and financial services, and strengthening consumer protections with the licensing of nearly 4 million working professionals.
Secretary Castro Ramírez currently serves on the California Strategic Growth Council, the California Housing Finance Agency Board, co–chairs the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and has been actively engaged in the state's COVID–19 response and recovery serving on the Governor's Business and Jobs Taskforce.
Secretary Castro Ramírez has held notable and prominent positions including being appointed by President Barack Obama to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Public and Indian Housing, President and CEO of the San Antonio Housing Authority, Director at the LA City Housing Authority overseeing rental assistance and resident development programs, and most recently serving as the President University Health System Foundation in San Antonio.
She is an accomplished public servant and executive dedicated to building public, private and philanthropic partnerships efforts to improve community and system–level solutions to expanding housing, health, business, economic and educational opportunities.
Secretary Castro Ramirez has served on several community and national boards and received the 2019 Community Partner Award from the San Antonio chapter of the American Institute of Architects for chairing the Mayor's Housing Policy Task Force. She is the recipient of the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality's 2020 Ray of HOPE award, and 2020 San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame Inductee.
She earned her master's degree in Urban Planning and bachelor's degree in Political Science and Chicano Studies at UCLA.
After the loss of her son Nico in 2012, she and her family established an annual Kick Childhood Cancer Soccer Camp to raise awareness and funds to support pediatric cancer research. Nico loved soccer.
Gustavo F. Velasquez
In May of 2020 Gustavo Velasquez was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. In this leadership role, Velasquez leads California's housing policy agenda and administers a wide range of programs that produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing and communities of opportunity across the state.
Velasquez was senior director at the Urban Institute, a renowned national research organization working to provide data analysis and insights to policymakers and practitioners in ways both relevant and actionable. Velasquez served for nearly three years as assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He served on behalf of the president as the strategic lead of the fair housing and inclusive community agenda for the Obama administration. During his tenure, HUD achieved groundbreaking enforcement victories in fair lending and in major housing discrimination cases. Velasquez led efforts to promulgate the landmark Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, a key tool for cities, states, and other HUD funding recipients to reduce inequality and disparities in access to opportunity.
Velasquez worked in executive roles in the administrations of DC mayors Anthony Williams, Adrian Fenty, and Vincent Gray. He also has nonprofit experience as executive director of the Latino Economic Development Center, a local community development organization in Washington, DC, and Congreso de Latinos Unidos, the leading social service provider to Latinos in Philadelphia.
Velasquez has served in numerous boards and committees of financial institutions, civil rights groups, and educational organizations at the local and national levels. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master's degree in public administration.
Tomiquia Moss
Tomiquia Moss was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as the Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency in November 2023 and was sworn in on February 13, 2024. As Secretary, Tomiquia leads and oversees 12 entities, including 40 boards and bureaus, collectively responsible for the preservation and expansion of safe, affordable housing, efforts to prevent and end homelessness, protect consumers, and safeguard Californians' civil rights.
Tomiquia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and public sectors with deep expertise in housing and homelessness, public policy, civil rights, and community development. She is a dynamic and visionary leader, known for her ability to bring people together to tackle complex problems in a strategic and collaborative way.
In 2019, Tomiquia founded All Home, a Bay Area organization advancing regional solutions to disrupt the cycles that perpetuate homelessness and poverty. In its first four years, All Home convened the Regional Impact Council that developed two ambitious regional plans, and built a team to implement those plans to increase housing and economic security for people with extremely low incomes in the Bay Area. They have advocated successfully for state and local policy change, launched multiple new programs, and granted millions of dollars to nonprofit and local government partners to prevent homelessness and create economic mobility for the people who need it most.
Before founding All Home, Tomiquia served as the CEO of Hamilton Families, which offers emergency, transitional, and permanent housing services for families experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. From 2014 to 2017, she served directly under the mayors of both San Francisco and Oakland, including as Chief of Staff for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the HOPE SF Initiative, a public housing and neighborhood revitalization effort with the office of the late San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. Tomiquia also served as the founding project director of the San Francisco Community Justice Center of the Superior Court of California.
In 2022, Tomiquia was appointed by Senate Pro–Tem Toni Atkins to serve as a member of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. As BCSH Secretary, she now serves as co–chair of Cal ICH. Tomiquia is a former board president for both SPUR and the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, former co–chair of the Bay Area Council's Homelessness Committee and of the Black Leadership Council, and former board member for Oakland Promise. She served as an Advisory Committee member for the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority from its inception until her appointment as Secretary. She remains a board member of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation.
Tomiquia holds a Masters' in Public Administration from Golden Gate University. She and her family are proud to call Oakland home.
Tony Tavares
Tony Tavares was appointed the 34th Director of the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) by Governor Gavin Newsom and sworn in June 2022. Director Tavares manages a nearly $20 billion budget and more than 22,000 employees who oversee 50,000 lane miles of highway, maintain approximately 20,000 bridges, provide permitting of more than 400 public–use airports, fund three of Amtrak's busiest intercity rail services and provide transit support to more than 200 local and regional transit agencies.
Director Tavares' transportation vision for California addresses critical climate issues and advances a safe, equitable, accessible, sustainable, and multimodal transportation system that builds on strong partnerships and robust stakeholder engagement. He fosters a people–first culture built on the principles of Safety, Equity, Climate Action, and Economic Prosperity –– furthering a California for all. He encourages innovation and intelligent risk–taking, as transformative innovation will be needed to achieve zero traffic–related deaths and serious injuries by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 40% by 2030.
Director Tavares most recently served as Director of Caltrans District 7, which encompasses expansive Los Angeles and Ventura counties. As District 7 Director, he oversaw transportation systems in a dynamic region that boasts 25% of California's population; an annual construction program of more than $2 billion; and some of the most innovative solutions to help move people and goods through Southern California, part of the 5th largest economy in the world.
Prior to overseeing District 7, he served as Caltrans Bay Area Director (District 4) where he was instrumental in implementing California's landmark Senate Bill 1 (SB1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act. Tavares also progressed Caltrans' goals as he served on several boards of regional transportation planning agencies, joint powers authorities and transit development.
From 2010 to 2018, Director Tavares served as the statewide Division Chief for Maintenance. There, he directed 7,000 multi–disciplinary professional employees with an annual budget allocation of almost $2.2 billion. In the first year of SB1, he also delivered over $1 billion in pavement, bridge and culvert projects.
Director Tavares has also held executive leadership roles at Caltrans as the Division Chief for Right of Way and Land Surveys; North Region Deputy Director for Structure Construction; Deputy Division Chief for Construction; and District 10 Director. In 2013, Director Tavares was awarded the Pavement Pioneer Award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association for his contribution in perpetual pavement projects.
Tavares is a graduate of University of California, Davis, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He is a Professional Engineer (PE) and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Gina Buccieri–Harrington
Gina Buccieri–Harrington has been assistant director of grants management in the Governor's Office of Emergency Services since 2009, where she has served in several positions since 2007, including staff services manager. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree in organizational development from Golden Gate University.
Veronica Lewis
Veronica Lewis, Master of Public of Administration is a recognized leader in Los Angeles County in the Homeless Services, Substance Use Support and Reentry sectors and is the Director of the Homeless Outreach Program/Integrated Care System Division of Special Service for Groups (SSG/HOPICS) where she oversees more than 65 million dollars in annual funding for multi–service programs including: mental health, substance use disorder treatment, reentry support, homeless services, permanent housing programs and sites, and trauma–focused services. HOPICS has permanently housed thousands of households under her leadership.
Under her leadership as Director since January 2011, HOPICS' annual budget has increased by 1500 percent and the workforce by eight (8) times greater in 11 years. Veronica has worked tirelessly as an advocate to improve and coordinate homeless services in LA County– in particular the Service Planning Area Sixth Region (SPA 6) which is made up of South LA and the Cities of Compton, Lynwood and Paramount. Veronica is the founder of the thriving SPA 6 Homeless Coalition. She has played an integral role in the development of the ever–expanding LA Continuum homeless systems of care as the lead for SPA 6's Coordinated Entry System for homeless individuals and families. In 2014 Veronica led and developed the one–of–a kind SPA 6 Family Crisis Housing Network that formed in response to the changing system of care for homeless families in LA County. The Network consists of a blend of homeless and housing providers that provide short to medium term crisis and bridge housing for families working toward permanent housing through the local Family Solutions Center– and still keeps 300 families with children off of the street every night in interim housing present day. Due to her leadership and advocacy HOPICS opened the first publicly funded interim housing location for transgender women and non–binary individuals in Los Angeles. Under her leadership, HOPICS has permanently housed more than 5000 homeless families within the last 10 years. Veronica has represented the interest of SPA 6 and the LA Continuum of Care (CoC) as member and Chair of the CoC Board and Coordinating Council. Veronica is also a Los Angeles County Public Social Services Commissioner appointed by LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
She has worked diligently to secure housing resources and build the capacity of small homeless and reentry agencies in South LA and the Cities of Compton and Lynwood. In her daily work Veronica has and continues to advocate for racial equity and honest dialogue about ways to improve the overwhelming number of health, economic, carceral and housing disparities for black people and other people of color in LA County. She deeply understands the intersection of race, homelessness, behavioral health and the criminal justice systems. She was a member of the Los Angeles Ad Hoc Committee on Black People experiencing Homelessness (BPEH) and delegation of members responsible for finalizing the report and recommendations and currently serves on the Steering Committee for BPEH which is responsible for implementation oversight of the recommendations. Veronica is also a member of the Homelessness Policy Research Institute (HPRI) Racial Equity Steering Committee.
Veronica served as the Chair of the Los Angeles Reimagine LA Measure J Advisory Committee and led the process of developing a recommended transformative spending plan that resulted in LA County funding $187 Million for the inaugural year one (FY 22) of investment into Care First– Jails last and Community Investment– which funds diversion and reentry services, de–carceration of LA County jails, primary health, behavioral health, housing, economic development, and youth support. Veronica is currently the Chair of the Los Angeles County Care First and Community Investment Advisory Committee. She is a member and immediate past chair of the Steering Committee for the Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP) and provides leadership on the Housing Committee.
In addition to her contribution to local Los Angeles City and County homeless/housing, reentry and SUD systems, programs and policies, Veronica also lends her expertise to help shape policies, best practices and projects at the state and national level through her participation in the Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee for California Courts Judicial Council; National Alliance to End Homelessness– Capacity Building Network; National Research Council– Transportation Research Board for the Airport Cooperative Research Program Project 03–59 Panel to help develop best practices nationwide to address homelessness at airports; and as a Member of the California Department of Health Care Services Proposition 64 Advisory Group where she helps shape program design and utilization of more than 60 million for the Youth Education Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account (YEPEITA).
William McGee
Celebrated educator and administrator, Mr. William McGee is committed to education. Currently, William serves as the Division Director of the Student Achievement and Support Division (SASD) in the California Department of Education. Directly after graduating from high school, he worked in the education system beginning as a classified employee, then becoming a teacher. He worked in administration as a high school assistant principal and middle school principal, as well as the Director of the Office of African American Student Achievement. He also served for eight years on the Hayward Unified School District Board of Education.
Nominated by his peers, Mr. McGee was recognized by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) as Outstanding Administrator of the Year, 2018–19 (Region Winner) and Outstanding Co–Administrator of the Year, 2014–15. Seeing his mother as a teacher, who retired after 40 years in the profession, helped him know his calling to serve students and families.
In November 2010, Mr. McGee was elected to the Hayward Unified School District Board of Trustees. He served as a trustee, president and vice president of the Board of Trustees, as well as served as a delegate in the California School Boards Association (CSBA).
William earned a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies with an Option in Communications from CSU, Hayward, and an Associate's Degree in Liberal Studies from Chabot College in Hayward. He also earned his administrative credential. Currently he is pursuing his Master's Degree in Educational Leadership, option Urban Teacher Leadership at CSU East Bay. Through his exploration of critical race theory and culturally relevant teaching, William has supported the Local Education Agencies (LEAS) with professional development as well as coordinated with his staff, a weekend workshop focused on race and equity for the district and the community.
Kaina Pereira
Kaina Pereira serves as the Executive Director for the California Workforce Development Board. Pereira previously served as Senior Advisor for Business Development, which included the California Business Investment Services Unit, the Office of Permit Assistance, and Community and Place–Based Solutions at the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO–Biz). He held a number of positions while at GO–Biz including lead as Senior Advisor for Business Development and International Trade, Deputy Director for California Business Investment Services, Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Permit Assistance and the interim Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade at the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. He was a business, entrepreneurial and real estate consultant from 2012 to 2018, financial strategist and e–commerce manager for Styles for Less Inc. from 2006 to 2011 and senior contracts administrator at Autoweb.com from 2005 to 2006. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Davis and his undergraduate degree from San Diego State University.
Jeffrey Macomber
Jeff Macomber was appointed CDCR Secretary by Governor Gavin Newsom on December 12, 2022. His career at CDCR has spanned nearly three decades, beginning as a Correctional Officer at Ironwood State Prison in 1993. Most recently, he served as Undersecretary of Operations from 2020 to 2022. He has diverse experience at CDCR, including leadership roles in custody, administration, and health care.
Secretary Macomber understands the importance of providing meaningful and diverse rehabilitative opportunities to the people in our care and to fostering a correctional system focused on the wellness and professional development of staff.
Secretary Macomber served in various roles at CDCR Headquarters from 1994 to 2004, then as Correctional Business Manager at Richard A. McGee Correctional Training Center from 2000 to 2004. He was Chief of the Program Support Unit and Transportation Unit from 2004 to 2007, and then started at California State Prison–Sacramento (SAC) as a Correctional Administrator in 2008. While at SAC, Macomber served as Chief Deputy Warden in 2009, then again from 2010–2013, and as Warden from 2013–2016. Following his tenure at SAC, he became Deputy Director of Facility Support in the Division of Adult Institutions from 2016 to 2018. In 2019, Mr. Macomber served as the Director of Corrections Services for California Correctional Health Care Services before becoming the Undersecretary of Administration. In late 2020, he transitioned to Undersecretary of Operations.
When not working, Secretary Macomber enjoys tending to his vegetable garden, running, and hiking. He is married, has two children, and two cats.
Tomás Aragón
Dr. Tomás Aragón, MD, DrPH, serves as the director of the California Department of Public Health and the State Public Health Officer, since January 4, 2021. Prior to coming to CDPH, he was the health officer for the City and County of San Francisco and director of the public health division.
Dr. Aragón has served in public health leadership roles for more than 20 years (communicable disease controller, deputy health officer, health officer, community health and chronic disease epidemiologist), including directing a public health emergency preparedness and response research and training center at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.
As CDPH director, striving to embody and promote the universal values of dignity, equity, compassion and humility, he works through collaborative partnerships to mobilize communities and institutions to transform policies and systems towards a culture of equity, antiracism, healing and health for all people and our planet. As State Public Health Officer, he exercises leadership and legal authority to protect health and prevent disease.
Dr. Aragón graduated from University of California, Berkeley (B.A., Molecular Biology; Dr.P.H., Epidemiology), Harvard Medical School (M.D.), Harvard School of Public Health (M.P.H.), and Stanford University (certification in Strategic Decision and Risk Management in Healthcare). He completed his clinical and research training at University of California, San Francisco (San Francisco General Hospital Primary Care Internal Medicine; Clinical Infectious Diseases; and Traineeship in AIDS Prevention Studies).
Stephanie Clendenin
Stephanie Clendenin of Antelope was appointed director of the Department of State Hospitals by Governor Newsom in 2019. She served as chief deputy director of the department from 2015 to 2018. Prior to joining DSH, she held multiple positions at the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). She was appointed to this position by Governor Brown in June 2011. She managed OSHPD's operating divisions responsible for the building and financing of health facility infrastructure, the collection and analyses of healthcare data, and the development and expansion of healthcare professionals to serve and improve the delivery of healthcare, particularly in medically underserved communities in California. Ms. Clendenin has over 28 years of experience with the State of California. Ms. Clendenin's previous government experience includes positions with Cal–Fire, Department of Finance, the former Department of Health Services, and the Department of General Services.
Susan DeMarois
Susan DeMarois joined the California Department of Aging as Director on November 1, 2021.
Prior to joining CDA, Susan led public policy and advocacy for the national Alzheimer's Association in California. As a registered lobbyist in Sacramento, Susan advocated for legislative, budget, and regulatory changes at the state capitol on behalf of the 2.1 million Californians directly impacted by Alzheimer's disease. The organization led the effort to implement the Healthy Brain Initiative in California, resulting in a $5 million investment in the state's public health infrastructure. On October 4, 2021, Governor Newsom signed SB 48 (Limón) into law, enacting the first dementia early detection initiative in the nation focused on the Medicaid population.
Susan served as an appointee to Governor Newsom's Alzheimer's Prevention and Preparedness Task Force, chaired by former First Lady Maria Shriver, in addition to the Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee, a workgroup established by Executive Order. In addition, Susan represented the Alzheimer's Association on the CHHS Agency Secretary's Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Committee.
Before working for the Alzheimer's Association, Susan led government and community relations for the UC Davis Health System and its academic medical center, children's hospital, medical school, nursing school and physician group. Early in her career, she worked for LeadingAge California, the professional trade association representing not–for–profit housing, residential care and skilled nursing providers along with home and community–based services.
A graduate of CSU Chico, Susan started her career working for the U.S. Congress and California State Assembly. Susan is a proud mom to two adult daughters.
She resides in Sacramento, CA and draws inspiration for her work from her own mom's experience with dementia.
Nancy Ward
Nancy Ward is the Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the first woman to hold the position, which she started in January 2023. Ward started her Emergency Management career in 1985, with the California Department of Social Services and went on to serve in several positions at Cal OES starting in the early 90s and again in 2014, bringing decades of distinguished leadership in emergency management, including at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Ward had been a Retired Annuitant at Cal OES since 2017, where she was Chief Deputy Director and Homeland Security Deputy Advisor from 2014 to 2017. In 2009, she served as the FEMA Acting Administrator within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Ward was Regional Administrator for FEMA Region IX, which serves Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and American Samoa, from 2006 to 2014, and served as FEMA Response and Recovery Division Director from 2000 to 2006.
Ward served in two details at FEMA headquarters as the Deputy Director of the Recovery Directorate during FEMA's response and recovery operations for the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. She has also served in various senior management positions in more than 100 disasters, including severe storms, flooding, wildfires, landslides, mudslides, and earthquakes in California, response to 911 and Hurricane Katrina, and Pacific area earthquakes, tsunamis, and severe drought.
Before joining FEMA, Ward was Chief of the Disaster Assistance Branch and Deputy State Coordinating Officer for Cal OES. She administered the state's Natural Disaster Assistance Act program assistance provisions, which provide disaster assistance funding to local governments for state–level emergencies and disasters.
Ward has received awards for extraordinary accomplishments, including the 2007 DHS Award for Excellence for her leadership during the California wildfires, President Obama's 2009 Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive, was inducted in 2012 into the International Woman in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Hall of Fame, and received the 2023 California Woman in Homeland Security Leadership Award.
Kim Johnson
Kim Johnson was appointed Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency in September 2024 by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Ms. Johnson was appointed Director of the California Department of Social Services by Governor Gavin Newsom, a position she held from July 2019 – August 2024. In this role, Ms. Johnson led a team of over 5,500 employees – the largest Department in the California Health and Human Services Agency – serving over 7 million Californians.
Ms. Johnson started with the California Department of Social Services in 2015 and had previously been appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to serve as Deputy Director of the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division, CalWORKs and Child Care Branch Chief, and Child Care and Refugee Programs Branch Chief.
Ms. Johnson has over 25 years of experience working in both community–based organizations and government focused on advancing the health and well–being of individuals, families, and communities most in need of resources.
The mission of the California Health & Human Services Agency is aligned with her purpose.
Lindsey Sin
Lindsey Sin was appointed as Secretary of CalVet by Governor Gavin Newsom on May 26, 2023. She has served in several roles at CalVet since 2011, including Deputy Secretary of Communications and Deputy Secretary of Women Veterans Affairs. Sin is the first woman to serve as Secretary of CalVet since the appointment of Virginia Mae Days as Director in 1975.
After graduating from high school in her hometown of Sacramento, Lindsey enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1997 until 2005 as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive in the Arabic language. She completed two flight tours in Rota, Spain during which time she deployed in support of Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom, and achieved the rank of Petty Officer First Class with Naval Aviation and Naval Aircrew designations.
After separating from the Navy, Lindsey returned to Sacramento and worked as the Lead Certifying Official for veterans services at American River College. She continued her work with veterans at Sacramento State as the Veterans Benefit Advisor and Certifying Official, focusing on developing programs for student veterans. Lindsey has a BA in History, Magna Cum Laude, from Sacramento State and an MBA from Drexel University.
Christina Snider-Ashtari
Christina Snider-Ashtari serves as Tribal Affairs Secretary to Governor Gavin Newsom and leads the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs established within the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom on July 1, 2022. Snider-Ashtari was appointed February 19, 2019 by Governor Newsom to continue her service in the Governor’s Office following her appointment on February 6, 2018 by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. She has also previously served as Executive Secretary of the California Native American Heritage Commission, appointed by Governors Newsom and Brown. Snider-Ashtari is an enrolled member of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians.
As a member of the Cabinet, Secretary Snider-Ashtari serves as the Governor’s Tribal Advisor and oversees effective government-to-government consultation between the Governor’s Administration and California tribes; informs, develops and implements policy directives related to tribal governments and Native American communities; leads the California Truth & Healing Council and California Indian Heritage Center Task Force and oversees the Tribal Nation Grant Fund Program.
In addition to her duties leading the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs, Secretary Snider-Ashtari serves as a member of the California Broadband Council, the Judicial Council Tribal Court-State Court Forum and an ex officio member of the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names.
Secretary Snider-Ashtari received her law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013 and is licensed to practice law in California and the District of Columbia. She has extensive experience in tribal law and policy, having worked with the United States Department of Justice Office of Tribal Justice, the National Congress of American Indians, the California Native American Heritage Commission, and several tribal governments and organizations across the nation. Snider-Ashtari received her Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Michelle Baass
Michelle Baass was appointed Director of the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021. The Department supports the health of over 13 million Californians.
Before her appointment to DHCS, Ms. Baass served as Undersecretary of California Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) since 2018 and Deputy Secretary of the Office of Program and Fiscal Affairs at Agency from 2017 to 2018. Prior to joining the executive branch, Ms. Baass worked for the Legislature for 13 years, including positions at the California State Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Senate Office of Research, and the California Legislative Analyst's Office.
Ms. Baass earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Ms. Baass is honored to serve Californians.
Marina Wiant
Marina was appointed by Treasurer Fiona Ma as the Executive Director of the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC). Both committees are chaired by Treasurer Ma and play a critical role in financing the construction of affordable rental housing in California.
Prior to her appointment, Marina served since 2012 as Vice President of Government Affairs for the California Housing Consortium (CHC), a statewide, nonpartisan advocate for the production and preservation of housing affordable to low– and moderate–income Californians. At CHC, Marina led a policy and advocacy team that secured the passage of a range of legislation, ballot measures, and budget resources that have transformed the affordable housing industry—including the state's first permanent source of funding for affordable housing since redevelopment and its last statewide housing bond, as well as groundbreaking legislation that has opened new sites to affordable development and accelerated local approvals.
Prior to joining CHC, Marina worked as a legislative staffer in the California State Assembly and interned with the Assembly Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection Committee.
Marina received her J.D. from Santa Clara University, with an emphasis in international law, and received her B.A. from UCLA, majoring in political science and minoring in Global Studies and Russian Language. She was admitted to the California State Bar in December 2010.
Margot Kushel
Margot Kushel, MD is a Professor of Medicine at University of California San Francisco, and Division Chief and Director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, and Director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. She is a practicing general internist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Margot's research focuses on the causes and consequences of homelessness and housing instability, with the goal of preventing and ending homelessness and ameliorating the effects of homelessness and housing instability on health. She is the principal investigator of the ongoing NIA funded study, the Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle agE (HOPE HOME) study, which examines the causes and consequences of homelessness in older adults, and the principal investigator of the California Statewide Study of Homelessness. She speaks at a local, state, and national level about issues of homelessness, and frequently provides testimony to legislative bodies. She received her AB from Harvard College, her MD from Yale and completed residency, chief residency, and fellowship in internal medicine at UCSF. Margot is a Board Member of Housing California.
Jennifer Troia
Jennifer Troia was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as the Director of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in October of 2024. In this role, she leads a team of more than 5,500 employees serving more than 7 million Californians in the largest Department in the California Health and Human Services Agency. Ms. Troia joined CDSS in January 2020 and previously served as Chief Deputy Director overseeing the Child Care and Development Division, Children and Family Services Division, and the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division.
Ms. Troia has more than 20 years of experience working on programs serving children, adults, and families and is deeply passionate about CDSS' mission to serve, aid, and protect those most in need. Prior to her work at CDSS, she served in various capacities in the California Legislature from 2008–2019. Before that, she started her career as an attorney and advocate for children and youth in foster care.
She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida.
She is honored to serve Californians in this leadership capacity.