Governor announced three appointments on Sept. 29, 2026: Tara Fouch-Moore of Mariposa to the Native American Heritage Commission; of West Sacramento to the Western States Water Council; and Jacqueline Francis of San Francisco to the California African American Museum Board of Directors.
Fouch-Moore has been Director of Landscape Stewardship at the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation since 2022; she was Outreach Coordinator there from 2020 to 2022 and previously worked in conference services and catering sales. She is Secretary of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation Tribal Council and a member of the Steering Committee. The Native American Heritage Commission seat requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Fouch-Moore is a Democrat.
Gibson has been the Director at the California Department of Water Resources since 2026; he served as Chief Deputy Director from 2024 to 2026 and as Chief Counsel from 2021 to 2024. He previously held senior roles at the California Natural Resources Agency and the Department of Fish and Wildlife and worked in private practice. The Western States Water Council position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $25 per diem. Gibson is registered without party preference.
Francis has been Dean of the Humanities and Sciences Division at the California College of the Arts since 2024; she held multiple positions at the college from 2008 to 2024 and was an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor from 2000 to 2008. She is co‑founder of the Association for Critical Race Art History, secretary of the National Committee for the History of Art and an advisory board member of Third Text and Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art. The museum board position does not require Senate confirmation and carries no compensation. Francis is a Democrat.
State
Thomas Gibson
Director, California Department of Water Resources
Named 4 times in this story.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Sources & methodology
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