SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — On Tuesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the following appointments: First, Alene Shimazu, 52, of Sacramento, has been appointed director of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Division of Administrative Services.
Shimazu has served as chief at the California Department of Human Resources Office of Financial Management and Economic Research since 2005, where she has served in several positions since 2001, including staff services manager and personnel program manager. She was an accounting administrator at the California Department of Health Services from 2000 to 2001 and a staff administrative analyst at the California Department of Finance from 1990 to 2000. Shimazu served in several positions at the California State Controller’s Office from 1986 to 1990, including senior accounting officer and accounting analyst and several positions at the California Employment Development Department from 1980 to 1986, including accounting technician and employment claims assistant. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $140,796. Shimazu is a Democrat.
Rebeca Aguirre, 41, of Torrance, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council. Aguirre has been a volunteer for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and a poll worker for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder since 2012. She was a claims representative for the U.S. Social Security Administration from 2010 to 2011 and an employment development assistant I for the City of Hawthorne from 2003 to 2010. Aguirre is a member of Communities Actively Living Independent and Free. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Aguirre is a Democrat.
Joseph Cody, 28, of Fresno, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council. Cody has been the director for technology and resources at Resources for Independence, Central Valley since 2011. He was a case manager at the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Fresno from 2010 to 2011, where he was a programs specialist from 2007 to 2008. Cody was an AmeriCorps VISTA member at HandsOn Central California from 2008 to 2009. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Cody is a Republican.
Fiona Hinze, 24, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council. Hinze has been systems change coordinator and community organizer at the Independent Living Resources Center of San Francisco since 2014, where she was a community activities coordinator in 2014. She was a teaching assistant at the Stanford University Department of Biology in 2013 and at the Stanford University Department of Psychology in 2012. Hinze was a research assistant at the Stanford Prevention Research Center at the Stanford School of Medicine from 2011 to 2012. She is a member of the Psi Chi Honor Society in Psychology. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hinze is a Democrat.
Dawn Leverett, 41, of Yuba City, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council. Leverett has been a senior vocational rehabilitation counselor, qualified rehabilitation professional at the California Department of Rehabilitation since 2008. She was a lecturer at California State University, Chico from 2008 to 2009, a disabled student programs and services counselor intern at Yuba Community College in 2007 and a contractor and after hours agent at Volt Information Systems from 2003 to 2004. She is legislative and public policy chair of the California Career Development Association. Leverett earned a Master of Science degree in counseling from California State University, Sacramento and a Master of Science degree in education from National University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Leverett is a Democrat.
Sara Moussavian, 23, of Palo Alto, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council. Moussavian has been an administrative assistant at Ada’s Café in Palo Alto since 2014. She is a member of the National Youth Action Council on Transition California team and a volunteer at Webster Health Center in Palo Alto. Moussavian was a youth organizing volunteer at the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers from 2011 to 2012 and a youth leader at the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center from 2010 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Moussavian is a Democrat.
Michael Van Essen, 61, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the California State Independent Living Council. Van Essen has been an instructor at Saddleback College since 2009, corporate director at the Pacific Clinics Benefits Establishment since 2007 and an HIV/AIDS educator and benefits specialist at the AIDS Service Center, Pasadena since 2005. He was a benefits specialist at AIDS Project Los Angeles from 2003 to 2005. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Van Essen is a Democrat.
