Gov. announced eight appointments to state boards and departments on Oct. 9, 2026, the governor's office said.
Sara Pietrowski, of Sacramento, was appointed chief deputy executive director at the State Board of Education. She has been Chief Governmental Relations Officer at the California Association of School Business Officials since 2024 and held multiple positions at the State Board of Education from 2017 to 2024; she earned a Master of Public Policy and a B.A. in political science from the University of Southern California. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $218,256. Pietrowski is a Democrat.
Michael Marks, of San Diego, was appointed chief AI engineer at the Office of Data and Innovation. He has been Principal Lead Data Scientist at Analytica Consulting since 2018 and previously worked in data science and analytics in health care; he holds an M.A. in geography from San Diego State University, an M.S. in information and data science from UC Berkeley’s School of Information, and a B.S. in operations management from Oakland University. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $194,892. Marks is a Democrat.
Jimmy O’Dea, of San Mateo, was appointed deputy director of sustainability at the California Department of Transportation. He has been Assistant Deputy Director of Transportation Electrification at Caltrans since 2022 and previously worked on vehicle and clean‑transportation programs at CALSTART and the Union of Concerned Scientists; he holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from UC Santa Barbara. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $174,000. O’Dea is registered without party preference.
Bambi Cisneros, of Elk Grove, was appointed deputy director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships at the California Department of Health Care Services. She has worked at the department since 2013 and has been Assistant Deputy Director for Managed Care since 2020; she earned a B.A. in government from California State University, Sacramento. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $194,640. Cisneros is registered without party preference.
Susan Pelbath, of Folsom, was appointed chief programs officer at the California Department of Rehabilitation. She has been Deputy Director in the Specialized Services Division at the department since 2022 and has held program and administrative roles at the Orientation Center for the Blind; she holds an M.S. in rehabilitation counseling from San Diego State University and a B.A. in human development from California State University, San Marcos. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $194,004. Pelbath is a Democrat.
Johnnie Chi, of Whittier, was appointed medical director of Metropolitan State Hospital at the California Department of State Hospitals. He has been Senior Psychiatrist Supervisor at the Department of State Hospitals–Coalinga since 2022 and previously served as staff psychiatrist and clinical faculty; he earned a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Nova Southeastern University. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $456,072. Chi is a Democrat.
Jason Montiel, of Sacramento, was appointed deputy director of communication and planning at the California Department of Managed Health Care. He has been a spokesperson at the California Department of Social Services since 2020 and previously held communications roles at multiple state agencies and news organizations; he holds an M.A. in communication from Stanford and a B.A. in international relations from UC Davis. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $143,004. Montiel is a Democrat.
Avery Emerson Fisher, of Belvedere-Tiburon, was appointed to the Youth Empowerment Commission. Fisher has served as a PADI Ambassadiver and as an ambassador for Aquarium of the Bay since 2026. The position does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $100 per diem. Fisher is not registered to vote.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 3 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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