SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — On Wednesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments; first: Tara Lynch, 45, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief counsel at the California Department of Parks and Recreation, where she has served in multiple positions since 1999, including acting chief counsel, senior staff counsel and staff counsel. She was an associate at Ellison and Schneider from 1998 to 1999. Lynch earned 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 $124,188. Lynch is a Democrat.
Carl Wofford, 50, of Lancaster, has been appointed warden at Avenal State Prison, where he has served as acting warden since 2013. Wofford held multiple positions at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County from 1993 to 2013, including chief deputy administrator, correctional administrator, correctional captain, facility captain, correctional lieutenant, sergeant and officer. He served as a correctional officer at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad from 1986 to 1993 and a corporal in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1986. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $138,228. Wofford is registered decline-to-state.
Edward Jerry Davies, 72, of Thousand Oaks, has been appointed to the California State Board of Fire Services, where he has served since 2007. Davies has been owner of Davies Communications since 1985. He was assistant vice president of media relations at Farmers Insurance Group from 2006 to 2013 and director of communications at the Personal Insurance Federation of California from 1995 to 2006 and at Farmers Alliance Insurance Companies from 1982 to 1985. He is a member of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, the California Fire Safe Council Board of Directors and the Public Relations Society of America. Davies earned a Master of Science degree in technical journalism and marketing from Iowa State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Davies is registered decline-to-state.
Frank Giardina, 57, of Nipomo, has been appointed to the California State Board of Optometry. Giardina has been optometric director at Community Health Centers of the Central Coast Inc. since 2013. He was an area doctor at FirstSight Vision Services from 2007 to 2013, optometric director at Mission Medical from 1996 to 2007 and an optometrist in private practice from 1990 to 1996. Giardina was optometric director at El Progreso Del Desierto from 1987 to 1990 and a teaching fellow at Pacific University, College of Optometry from 1986 to 1987. Giardina earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from Pacific University, College of Optometry and a Master of Science degree in health science from California State University, Northridge. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Giardina is a Democrat.
David Turetsky, 58, of Soquel, has been appointed to the California Board of Optometry. Turetsky has been vice president, optometrist and partner at Advanced Eyecare, A Professional Optometric Group since 2008. He was optometrist and coordinator at Physicians Network Services from 2005 to 2008 and held multiple positions at Pearle VisionCare Inc. from 1993 to 2005, including clinical director, director of doctor relations and area optometric coordinator. Turetsky was managing optometrist at Eyexam 2000 from 1987 to 1993 and an optometrist at Ronald Joelson, O.D. from 1981 to 1987. Turetsky earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Turetsky is a Democrat.
Curtis Good, 56, of Irvine, has been appointed to the California Structural Pest Control Board, where he has served since 2010. Good has been president at Newport Exterminating since 1980. He is a member of the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation and the Pest Control Operators of California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Good is a Republican.
Alan Howard, 42, of Monterey, has been appointed to the Osteopathic Medical Board of California, where he has served since 2007. Howard has been a deputy director at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School since 2009. He was project manager at APL Logistics from 2004 to 2008 and director of eBusiness Development at TNT Post Group from 1994 to 2002. Howard earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Thunderbird School of Global Management. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Howard is a Republican.
Susan Rubin, 56, of Playa Vista, has been appointed to the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians. Rubin has been executive director of the Saban Research Institute at the Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles since 2011. She held multiple positions at the University of California, Los Angeles from 2001 to 2011, including managing director at the California NanoSystems Institute and executive officer at the Associate Administrative Vice Chancellor’s Office. Rubin was an attorney at the Law Offices of Susan D. Praskin Rubin from 1985 to 2004. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern Law School. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Rubin is a Democrat.
Natalie Bamshad-Alavi, 56, of Greenbrae, has been appointed to the California State Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Bamshad-Alavi has been president and owner of NBA Engineering Inc. since 1994. She was chief engineer and mechanical and electrical department head at Foster Engineering from 1991 to 1994, chief engineer at AECOM-DMJM in 1990 in Japan and project engineer at DMJM from 1985 to 1989. Bamshad-Alavi earned a Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering and a Master of Science degree in industrial engineering from the University of Michigan. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bamshad-Alavi is registered decline-to-state.
Asha Malikh Brooks, 31, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Brooks has been a paralegal at the Walt Disney Company since 2012. She was project manager at World Poker Tour Enterprises Inc. from 2008 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brooks is a Democrat.
