SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments: First, Gene “Herm” Benedetti, 58, of Sonoma, has been appointed to the 4th District Agricultural Association, Sonoma-Marin Fair Board, where he has served since 2010. Benedetti has held multiple positions at Clover Stornetta Farms Inc. since 1977, including part-owner and vice president. He is a member of the California Milk Processor Board, the Dairy Council of California and the Sonoma State University Academic Foundation Board of Directors. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Benedetti is a Republican.
Ruth McClure, 50, of Inverness, has been appointed to the 4th District Agricultural Association, Sonoma-Marin Fair Board, where she has served since 1992. McClure has been corporate secretary and bookkeeper at McClure Dairy Inc. since 1987 and vice president of American AgCredit since 1984. McClure is the co-president of the North Bay Chapter of California Women for Agriculture. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. McClure is a Republican.
Lois Merriweather Moore, 66, of Novato has been appointed to the 4th District Agricultural Association, Sonoma-Marin Fair Board. Moore has been a substitute teacher for the Sausalito Marin City School District since 2007 and adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco since 2003. She was a consultant for the United Negro College Fund, Gates Millennium Scholars Program from 2004 to 2011. Moore was a teacher for the Novato Unified School District from 1973 to 2002. She earned a Doctorate of Education degree in international and multicultural education from the University of San Francisco and a Master of Arts degree in education from Sonoma State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Moore is a Democrat.
Earlene Freeman, 56, of Auburn, has been reappointed to the 20th District Agricultural Association, Gold Country Fair Board, where she has served since 2012. Freeman has held multiple positions at Eisley Nursery since 1982, including retail manager. She is a member of the Master Nursery Garden Centers, Placer High School Music Boosters, Order of the Eastern Star and International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Freeman is a Republican.
Kelly Mykrantz, 50, of Oakley, has been reappointed to the 23rd District Agricultural Association, Contra Costa County Fair Board, where she has served since 2012. Mykrantz has been owner and manager of Horsetown Tack since 2008. She was an intraday planner and staffing manager at Wells Fargo from 1989 to 2007. Mykrantz is a member of the American Quarter Horse Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Mykrantz is registered decline-to-state.
Leslie Cornejo, 57, of Oxnard, has been reappointed to the 31st District Agricultural Association, Ventura County Fair Board, where she has been a member since 2008. She has been owner and manager of Santa Paula Travel Service since 1988. Cornejo is a founding director of Santa Clara Valley Bank. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Cornejo is a Republican.
Laurie Schuler-Flynn, 50, of Woodland, has been reappointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board, where she has served since 2011. Schuler-Flynn has been co-owner of Hill Stone Olive Oil since 2004 and an agricultural and standards specialist at the Yolo County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office since 1988. Schuler-Flynn was director of the California Olive Oil Council and has been a member since 2006. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Schuler-Flynn is a Democrat.
Elaine Yamaguchi, 48, of Woodland, has been reappointed to the 40th District Agricultural Association, Yolo County Fair Board, where she has served since 2011. Yamaguchi has been a legislative analyst at the California Public Employees Retirement System since 2007. She was the director of the California State Library’s California Civil Liberties Public Education Program from 2005 to 2006. Yamaguchi served as special assistant in the Office of the California State Assembly Speaker from 1998 to 2005. She held multiple positions at the Center for Asian American Media from 1993 to 1997, including managing director. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Yamaguchi is a Democrat.
Additional appointments announced on June 24 include:
Gina Valadez, 46, of Stockton, has been appointed to the 2nd District Agricultural Association, San Joaquin County Fair Board. Valadez has been a credit manager at Delta Bluegrass Company, Zuckerman-Heritage Inc. since 1995. She was a credit associate at MEPCO Label Systems Inc. from 1993 to 1995 and an administrator at Country Sheet Metal Products Inc. from 1986 to 1991. Valadez is president and founder of Bread of Life. He is a member of the California Landscape Contractors Association and the National Association of Credit Management. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Valadez is a Republican.
Joseph Valente, 53, of Lodi, has been appointed to the 2nd District Agricultural Association, San Joaquin County Fair Board. Valente has been vineyard and orchard manager at John Kautz Farms since 1980 and is president of the North San Joaquin Water Conservation District. He is director of the California Farm Bureau Federation, the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation and the Friends of the San Joaquin County Fair. Valente was president of the Lodi Winegrape Commission from 2009 to 2010 and the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation from 2008 to 2009. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Valente is a Republican.
Ger Vang, 49, of Stockton, has been appointed to the 2nd District Agricultural Association, San Joaquin County Fair Board. Vang has been the chief executive officer of Lao Family Community Empowerment Inc. since 2008. He was the executive director of the Northern California Chapters of Lao Veterans of America Inc. from 2006 to 2008 and a family and community services manager at the Community Action Agency of Butte County Inc. from 1995 to 2006. Vang earned a Master of Arts degree in education from California State University, Chico. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Vang is a Republican.
Lilia Galindo, 57, of Quartz Hill, has been appointed to the 50th District Agricultural Association, Antelope Valley Fair Board. Galindo has been owner and host of radio talk show, Café Con Leche, since 2010. She was a human resources manager at the Antelope Valley School Transportation Agency from 2007 to 2010 and a consumer service coordinator at the North Los Angeles County Regional Center from 2006 to 2007. Galindo was an independent day trader from 2004 to 2006, assistant director at the Latin American Civic Association for Headstart from 1999 to 2003 and a case manager and business office supervisor at the Antelope Valley Mental Health Center for Los Angeles County from 1997 to 1999. She worked for the Federal Government of Mexico as administrative director at the Fisheries Ministry in the state of Sinaloa from 1991 to 1996 and budget director for the Secretary of Energy, Mines and Public Enterprise from 1986 to 1991. Galindo earned a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Northridge. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Galindo is a Democrat.
Felipe Reina, 28, of Palmdale, has been appointed to the 50th District Agricultural Association, Antelope Valley Fair Board. Reina has been management and program analyst at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration since 2012. He was a central vault finance lead at NBC Universal Comcast from 2004 to 2012. Reina was a remote pilot operator at Raytheon from 2008 to 2011 and the Washington Consulting Group from 2007 to 2008. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Reina is a Democrat.
Jesse Zhang, 16, of Rancho Palos Verdes, has been appointed to the California State Board of Education. Zhang is a student at the California Academy of Math and Science (CAMS) and has been an intern for the Port of Long Beach, Department of Finance since 2013. He has been vice president of the Junior State of America’s chapter at CAMS and a member of the National Honor Society and the California Scholarship Federation since 2012. Zhang has held multiple positions on the CAMS student council since 2011, including sophomore class president, commissioner of athletics and commissioner of beautification. Zhang was a volunteer adult exhibit interpreter at the Aquarium of the Pacific from 2011 to 2012. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Zhang is not registered to vote.
