SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — On Wednesday, Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments: First, Sid Voorakkara, 42, of San Diego, has been appointed senior business development specialist at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Voorakkara has been a partner at Ten Page Memo LLC since 2012.
Voorakkara was statewide program officer and San Diego regional program officer at the California Endowment from 2005 to 2011, field director of public affairs at the United Nations Foundation from 2003 to 2004 and director of production and client services at Home Front Communications from 2000 to 2002. Voorakkara was communications advisor to Minority Leader Richard Gephardt from 1999 to 2000, western communications strategist for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 1997 to 1998 and served as a staffer on a variety of federal, state and local campaigns from 1993 to 1997. Voorakkara is a member of the advisory council for the San Diego Community College Board of Trustees and a member of the San Diego Leadership Alliance Board of Directors and the San Diego LGBT Community Center Board of Directors. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $90,000. Voorakkara is a Democrat.
Shannan West, 32, of Sacramento, has been appointed senior permit assistance specialist at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. West has been zoning manager at Lend Lease since 2012. She was contract planner for the City of Rancho Cordova and associate planner at Pacific Municipal Consultants from 2007 to 2011, project manager at Jeffrey DeMure and Associates Architects and Planners from 2005 to 2007 and architectural drafter at Mogavero Notestine Associates Inc. from 2000 to 2005. West was intermediate architectural designer at RMW Architecture and Interiors in 2000 and was architectural drafter at BSB Architects from 1999 to 2000. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $80,004. West is registered decline-to-state.
Alex Barnum, 52, of Berkeley, has been appointed deputy secretary for communications and external affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Barnum has been a communications officer at the James Irvine Foundation since 2006. He was communications director at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation from 2005 to 2006. Barnum held multiple positions at the San Francisco Chronicle from 1991 to 2005, including science, health and environment editor and staff writer. He was a staff writer with The San Jose Mercury News from 1987 to 1991. Barnum earned a Master of Science degree in journalism from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $125,040. Barnum is a Democrat.
Gigi Smith, 48, of Roseville, has been appointed chief information officer at the California Department of Transportation. Smith has been chief information officer at the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs since 2008. She was the training and marketing director at the California Department of Technology Services from 2007 to 2008 and held multiple positions at the California Department of Rehabilitation from 2001 to 2007, including chief information officer, chief technology officer and technology manager. Smith was a project manager at the California State Water Resources Control Board from 2000 to 2001. She served in multiple positions at the California Department of Justice from 1994 to 2000, including staff programmer analyst and staff information systems analyst. Smith was a systems analyst at the California Department of Corrections from 1990 to 1994 and at Waltrip and Associates from 1989 to 1990. She earned a doctorate degree in management from Colorado Technical University and a Master of Business Administration degree from National University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $114,456. Smith is a Democrat.
Linne Stout, 53, of Sacramento, has been appointed director of the California Department of Community Services and Development, where she has served as chief deputy director since 2012 and was acting chief deputy director from 2011 to 2012. She served in multiple positions at the California Department of Social Services from 2001 to 2011, including chief of the Child Protection and Family Support Branch. Stout is a member of Court Appointed Special Advocates. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $129,796. Stout is a Democrat.
Charles Berdan, 57, of Herald, has been appointed to the State 9-1-1 Advisory Board. Berdan has been the dispatch manager at the Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center since 2002. He was emergency communications manager at Pacific Bell SBC from 2000 to 2002. Berdan served in various positions at the Sacramento Regional Fire and EMS Communications center from 1979 to 2000, including deputy director. He was a firefighter and dispatcher at the Citrus Heights Fire Department from 1973 to 1979. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Berdan is a Democrat.
Edward Bonner, 61, of Loomis, has been appointed to the State 9-1-1 Advisory Board. Bonner has served in multiple positions at the Placer County Sheriff’s Office since 1974, including sheriff-coroner-marshal, undersheriff and captain. He is a member of the California State Sheriffs’ Association, the Western States Sheriffs’ Association, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Bonner earned a Master of Science degree in management science from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bonner is registered decline-to-state.
Peter Roddy, 75, of Palm Desert, has been appointed to the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board. Roddy has been a business development consultant since 2008. He was vice president of sales and marketing at Ittella Foods from 1995 to 2002 and president of Kitty Queen Pet Foods from 1981 to 1995. Roddy served as vice president of sales and marketing at Chock Full O’ Nuts Coffee Company from 1977 to 1981 and was sales manager at Food Brokerage Business from 1969 to 1977. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $25,500. Roddy is a Republican.
