SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Calif. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Monday announced the following appointments: First, Steven Cliff, 44, of Sacramento, has been appointed assistant director of sustainability at the California Department of Transportation. Cliff has been assistant chief of the Stationary Source Division at the California Air Resources Board since 2013, where he has served in several positions since 2008, including chief of the Stationary Source Division Climate Change Markets Branch and air pollution specialist and manager of the program development section in the Office of Climate Change.
Cliff has been associate professional researcher III at the Air Quality Research Center and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis since 2011, where he has served in several positions since 1998, including associate professional researcher I in the Department of Applied Science, assistant professional researcher II, III and IV in the Department of Applied Science, admissions chair in the Atmospheric Science Graduate Group and postdoctoral research fellow. He has been approved program coordinator at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Advanced Light Source since 2004, where he has served in several positions since 2001, including beamline scientist and primary research team coordinator. Cliff earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in chemistry from the University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $135,456. Cliff is a Republican.
Randy Jones, 53, of Gaviota, has been appointed to the 37th District Agricultural Association, Santa Maria Fairpark Board of Directors. Jones has been president of Hometown Insurance Services Inc. since 2007 and owner of the Pork Palace since 1994. He was an agent for the Jones Organization Insurance Services from 1996 to 2007 and a construction supervisor for Garnet Homes from 1987 to 1994. Jones is a community leader at Lucky Clover 4-H and a member of the Rotary Club of Santa Ynez Valley Board of Directors and the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum Board of Directors. Jones earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Jones is a Republican.
Robert Taylor, 54, of Clearlake, has been appointed to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Taylor has served on Area Board I of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities since 2013 and has been an advisor for the Board Resource Center Inc. since 2009. He was a telemarketer for Zoya Communications Inc. from 1998 to 2001. Taylor is a member of the California Health and Human Services Agency Olmstead Advisory Committee and the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities Employment First Committee. He served on the Regional Community Advisory Committee 2 at L.A. Care from 2008 to 2011. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Taylor is registered without party preference.
Nikko Da Paz, 49, of Los Banos, has been appointed to Area Board VIII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. She has been a research project manager at the University of California, Merced since 2014, where she has served in several positions since 2010, including teaching assistant, research project manager and guest lecturer. Da Paz was a research project manager at the Stanford Prevention Research Center from 2000 to 2005 and a guest lecturer for the University of Ghana in 1999. She was an inclusion specialist for Easter Seals of Central California from 1996 to 1998 and a preschool teacher for Creative Montessori from 1995 to 1996. Da Paz is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Da Paz is a Democrat.
Genevieve Hinson, 41, of Fresno, has been appointed to Area Board VIII of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Hinson has served as a volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Mental Health Board of Fresno County Speakers Bureau since 2014. She was social media coordinator for Children’s Hospital Central California from 2010 to 2011 and held several positions at the Fresno Bee from 2006 to 2009 and from 1997 to 2002, including online design coordinator, online communities editor and online content coordinator. She held several positions at the Modesto Bee from 2002 to 2005, including online creative director and online content developer. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hinson is a Democrat.
Rachel Osterbach, 31, of Fountain Valley, has been appointed to Area Board XI of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Osterbach has been a mailroom assistant at Scottish American Insurance since 2011. She was a store assistant at T.J. Maxx from 2010 to 2011 and an office assistant at Allstate Insurance from 2005 to 2010. Osterbach is a charter member of the Toastmasters Gavel Club and a global messenger at the Special Olympics Southern California, where she has been a member since 1993. She is a member of the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Osterbach is a Democrat.
