Governor announced appointments to two prison warden posts and to the state boards that oversee and review law enforcement, the governor’s office said.
Kimberly Thornton of Lassen County was appointed Warden of High Desert State Prison; she has served as Acting Warden since 2025 and previously held senior administrative roles at High Desert, Pelican Bay, Avenal and Corcoran. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $199,332. Thornton is a Republican.
Brian Allo of San Bernardino was appointed Warden of the California State Prison, Los Angeles County; he has served as Acting Warden since 2025 and previously held leadership posts at the California Rehabilitation Center, the California Institution for Men and Ironwood State Prison. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $199,332. Allo is a Republican.
of Santa Ana was appointed to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training; he has served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors since 2023 and previously was mayor and a long-serving Santa Ana councilmember. The position does not require Senate confirmation and pays $350 per diem. Sarmiento is a Democrat.
Ingrid Braun of Mammoth Lakes was reappointed to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training; she has served on that commission since 2020 and has been Mono County sheriff-coroner since 2014. This position requires Senate confirmation and carries no compensation. Braun is a Democrat.
The governor also named members to the Peace Officer Standards Accountability Advisory Board. Jamal Anderson of San Francisco has been an attorney and director of policy at the San Francisco Department of Police Accountability since 2026; Regina Hatcher-Crawford of Oxnard and Nicole Clavo of Elk Grove were reappointed to the advisory board. These advisory roles do not require Senate confirmation and pay $350 per diem. All three are Democrats.
State
Gavin Newsom
Governor · Democrat
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: Official portrait
Local
Vicente Sarmiento
Supervisor, Second District, Orange County Board of Supervisors
Named 2 times in this story.
Portrait: City of Santa Ana / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Sources & methodology
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