Vacant
California Department of Aging
Council Member
Vacant
California Higher Education
Council Member
Caroline Thomas Jacobs
Caroline Thomas Jacobs was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom on March 3, 2026, as Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). She brings more than 20 years of experience in emergency management, public safety, and technology.
Director Thomas Jacobs previously served at Cal OES from 2014 to 2019, including as Chief of Headquarters Response, where she led the State Operations Center during major disasters and helped develop the state's initial Public Safety Power Shutoff protocols. Thomas Jacobs later served as Director of the Wildfire Safety Division at the California Public Utilities Commission, where she established oversight of utility wildfire safety programs, and as the inaugural Director of the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety.
Thomas Jacobs' background also includes roles with the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, the Bay Area Urban Area Security Initiative, and Apple Inc. Thomas Jacobs is recognized for advancing statewide coordination, strengthening disaster response, and building a more resilient California.
Tony Sertich
Tony Sertich was appointed by Governor Newsom in September 2025 as the Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency, the state's affordable housing lender. In this role, he works to further the Agency's mission to invest in diverse communities with financing programs that help more Californians have a place to call home.
Mr. Sertich directs CalHFA's effort to collaborate with public and private partners to provide affordable housing opportunities for low– and moderate–income Californians, leading a Single Family division that helped nearly 7,000 families achieve the dream of homeownership last fiscal year and a Multifamily Division that financed more than 2,700 rental units in that same year.
Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, Sertich served as the Assistant Deputy Director of the Division of State Financial Assistance at the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) from 2022 to 2025, and was Deputy State Controller and top housing advisor under State Controller Betty Yee from 2019 to 2022.
Previously, he worked at CalHFA from 2004 to 2018, serving as the Agency's Financing Risk Manager, Director of Multifamily Programs and Director of Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance.
Sertich earned a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Berkeley.
Lourdes M. Castro Ramírez
California Governor Newsom appointed Lourdes Castro Ramírez to serve as Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency on March 2, 2020. She leads and oversees 11 entities responsible for expanding affordable housing, developing comprehensive solutions to end homelessness, guarding civil rights protections, regulating banking and financial services, and strengthening consumer protections with the licensing of nearly 4 million working professionals.
Secretary Castro Ramírez currently serves on the California Strategic Growth Council, the California Housing Finance Agency Board, co–chairs the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and has been actively engaged in the state's COVID–19 response and recovery serving on the Governor's Business and Jobs Taskforce.
Secretary Castro Ramírez has held notable and prominent positions including being appointed by President Barack Obama to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Public and Indian Housing, President and CEO of the San Antonio Housing Authority, Director at the LA City Housing Authority overseeing rental assistance and resident development programs, and most recently serving as the President University Health System Foundation in San Antonio.
She is an accomplished public servant and executive dedicated to building public, private and philanthropic partnerships efforts to improve community and system–level solutions to expanding housing, health, business, economic and educational opportunities.
Secretary Castro Ramirez has served on several community and national boards and received the 2019 Community Partner Award from the San Antonio chapter of the American Institute of Architects for chairing the Mayor's Housing Policy Task Force. She is the recipient of the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality's 2020 Ray of HOPE award, and 2020 San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame Inductee.
She earned her master's degree in Urban Planning and bachelor's degree in Political Science and Chicano Studies at UCLA.
After the loss of her son Nico in 2012, she and her family established an annual Kick Childhood Cancer Soccer Camp to raise awareness and funds to support pediatric cancer research. Nico loved soccer.
Gustavo F. Velasquez
In May of 2020 Gustavo Velasquez was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. In this leadership role, Velasquez leads California's housing policy agenda and administers a wide range of programs that produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing and communities of opportunity across the state.
Velasquez was senior director at the Urban Institute, a renowned national research organization working to provide data analysis and insights to policymakers and practitioners in ways both relevant and actionable. Velasquez served for nearly three years as assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He served on behalf of the president as the strategic lead of the fair housing and inclusive community agenda for the Obama administration. During his tenure, HUD achieved groundbreaking enforcement victories in fair lending and in major housing discrimination cases. Velasquez led efforts to promulgate the landmark Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, a key tool for cities, states, and other HUD funding recipients to reduce inequality and disparities in access to opportunity.
Velasquez worked in executive roles in the administrations of DC mayors Anthony Williams, Adrian Fenty, and Vincent Gray. He also has nonprofit experience as executive director of the Latino Economic Development Center, a local community development organization in Washington, DC, and Congreso de Latinos Unidos, the leading social service provider to Latinos in Philadelphia.
Velasquez has served in numerous boards and committees of financial institutions, civil rights groups, and educational organizations at the local and national levels. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master's degree in public administration.
Tomiquia Moss
As Secretary, Tomiquia leads and oversees 5 entities that are responsible for defending civil rights, funding and preserving affordable housing, expanding homeownership, and working to prevent and end homelessness statewide. Tomiquia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and public sectors with expertise in housing and homelessness, public policy, civil rights, and community development.
Secretary Moss previously led the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH), overseeing 12 entities and more than 40 boards and bureaus with the goal of expanding safe and affordable housing; advancing efforts to prevent and end homelessness, protecting consumers, and safeguarding Californians’ civil rights. She founded and led All Home, a Bay Area organization advancing regional solutions to disrupt the cycles that perpetuate homelessness and poverty. Tomiquia was the CEO of Hamilton Families, which offers emergency, transitional, and permanent housing services for families experiencing homelessness. She previously served directly under the mayors of both San Francisco and Oakland, and as the Executive Director of the HOPE SF Initiative.
Tomiquia has been the board president for both SPUR and the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California. She co-chaired the Bay Area Council’s Homelessness Committee, and the statewide Black Leadership Council. She also served as an Advisory Committee member for the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority from its inception until her appointment as Secretary of BCSH. She remains a board member of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation.
Gina Buccieri–Harrington
Gina Buccieri–Harrington has been assistant director of grants management in the Governor's Office of Emergency Services since 2009, where she has served in several positions since 2007, including staff services manager. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree in organizational development from Golden Gate University.
Veronica Lewis
Veronica Lewis is a recognized systems leader in Los Angeles County and statewide in the Homeless and Housing Services, Substance Use Disorder Support and Reentry sectors. She is the founder and Managing Director of ChangeMaker Consulting and Co-Founder of Impact Consulting Group. Veronica previously served as the Director of the Homeless Outreach Program/Integrated Care System Division of Special Service for Groups (HOPICS) for 15 years where she oversaw 130 million dollars in annual funding for multi-service programs including: mental health, harm reduction and substance use disorder treatment, reentry support, emergency homeless services and interim housing, permanent housing programs and sites, and trauma-focused services. Under Veronica’s leadership HOPICS pioneered many innovative interventions that were taken to scale, expanded integration of primary and behavioral health care with homeless/housing services, built the capacity of the provider community of collaborative partners, implemented robust employee focused wellness programs- HOPICS Cares, housed more than 12,000+ households, and helped hundreds of thousands of individuals and families on their journeys.
Veronica has worked tirelessly as an advocate to improve and coordinate homeless services in LA County- in particular the Service Planning Area Sixth Region (SPA 6). Veronica is the founder of the thriving SPA 6 Homeless Coalition. She has played an integral role in the development of the ever-expanding LA Continuum homeless system(s) of care. In 2014 Veronica led and developed the one-of-a kind SPA 6 Family Crisis Housing Network that formed in response to the changing system of care for homeless families in LA County. The Network consists of a blend of homeless and housing providers that provide short to medium term crisis housing for families working toward permanent housing- and still keeps 300+ families with children off of the street every night in interim housing present day. Due to her leadership and advocacy HOPICS opened the first publicly funded interim housing location for transgender women and non-binary individuals in Los Angeles. Veronica has represented the interest of SPA 6 and the LA Continuum of Care (CoC) as member and Chair of the CoC Board and Coordinating Council. Veronica is also a Los Angeles County Public Social Services Commissioner appointed by LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
In her daily work Veronica has and continues to advocate for racial equity and honest dialogue about ways to improve the overwhelming number of health, economic, carceral and housing disparities for black, indigenous and other people of color in LA County. She deeply understands the intersection of race, homelessness, behavioral health and the criminal justice systems. She has been a key part of the Los Angeles Black People experiencing Homelessness (BPEH) efforts that produced the nationally recognized report and recommendations and still working to provide support the implementation of the recommendations through her role on the Policy Committee. Veronica is also a member of the USC Homelessness Policy Research Institute (HPRI) Racial Equity Steering Committee.
Veronica currently serves as and was also the inaugural Chair for two years of the Los Angeles Care First and Community Investment or CFCI (Measure J) Advisory Committee and led the process of developing a recommended transformative spending plan that resulted in LA County funding $287 Million for the first two inaugural years (FY 22-23) of investment into alternatives to incarceration and addressing racial inequities; and she still serves as a Committee Member. CFCI funds diversion and reentry services, de-carceration of LA County jails, primary health, behavioral health, housing, economic development, and youth support. She is a member of the Steering Committee for the Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership (LARRP).
In addition to her contribution to local Los Angeles City and County systems and policies, Veronica also lends her expertise to help shape policies, best practices and projects at the state and national level through her participation as a Councilmember on the California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) appointed by Speaker Anthony Rendon and a Cal ICH Racial Equity Workgroup member; a former member of the Collaborative Justice Courts Advisory Committee for California Courts Judicial Council (CJCAC) and Co-Chair of CJCAC’s Racial Equity and Inclusion Workgroup; National Alliance to End Homelessness- Capacity Building Network; National Research Council- Transportation Research Board for the Airport Cooperative Research Program Project 03-59 Panel that helped develop best practices nationwide to address homelessness at airports; and as a former member of the California Department of Health Care Services Proposition 64 Advisory Group where she helped shape program design and utilization of more than 60 million for the Youth Education Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment Account (YEPEITA).
Kaina Pereira
Kaina Pereira serves as the Executive Director for the California Workforce Development Board. Pereira previously served as Senior Advisor for Business Development, which included the California Business Investment Services Unit, the Office of Permit Assistance, and Community and Place–Based Solutions at the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO–Biz). He held a number of positions while at GO–Biz including lead as Senior Advisor for Business Development and International Trade, Deputy Director for California Business Investment Services, Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Permit Assistance and the interim Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade at the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. He was a business, entrepreneurial and real estate consultant from 2012 to 2018, financial strategist and e–commerce manager for Styles for Less Inc. from 2006 to 2011 and senior contracts administrator at Autoweb.com from 2005 to 2006. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Davis and his undergraduate degree from San Diego State University.
Jeffrey Macomber
Jeff Macomber was appointed CDCR Secretary by Governor Gavin Newsom on December 12, 2022. His career at CDCR has spanned nearly three decades, beginning as a Correctional Officer at Ironwood State Prison in 1993. Most recently, he served as Undersecretary of Operations from 2020 to 2022. He has diverse experience at CDCR, including leadership roles in custody, administration, and health care.
Secretary Macomber understands the importance of providing meaningful and diverse rehabilitative opportunities to the people in our care and to fostering a correctional system focused on the wellness and professional development of staff.
Secretary Macomber served in various roles at CDCR Headquarters from 1994 to 2004, then as Correctional Business Manager at Richard A. McGee Correctional Training Center from 2000 to 2004. He was Chief of the Program Support Unit and Transportation Unit from 2004 to 2007, and then started at California State Prison–Sacramento (SAC) as a Correctional Administrator in 2008. While at SAC, Macomber served as Chief Deputy Warden in 2009, then again from 2010–2013, and as Warden from 2013–2016. Following his tenure at SAC, he became Deputy Director of Facility Support in the Division of Adult Institutions from 2016 to 2018. In 2019, Mr. Macomber served as the Director of Corrections Services for California Correctional Health Care Services before becoming the Undersecretary of Administration. In late 2020, he transitioned to Undersecretary of Operations.
When not working, Secretary Macomber enjoys tending to his vegetable garden, running, and hiking. He is married, has two children, and two cats.
Stephanie Clendenin
Stephanie Clendenin of Antelope was appointed director of the Department of State Hospitals by Governor Newsom in 2019. She served as chief deputy director of the department from 2015 to 2018. Prior to joining DSH, she held multiple positions at the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). She was appointed to this position by Governor Brown in June 2011. She managed OSHPD's operating divisions responsible for the building and financing of health facility infrastructure, the collection and analyses of healthcare data, and the development and expansion of healthcare professionals to serve and improve the delivery of healthcare, particularly in medically underserved communities in California. Ms. Clendenin has over 28 years of experience with the State of California. Ms. Clendenin's previous government experience includes positions with Cal–Fire, Department of Finance, the former Department of Health Services, and the Department of General Services.
Kim Johnson
Kim Johnson was appointed Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency in September 2024 by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Ms. Johnson was appointed Director of the California Department of Social Services by Governor Gavin Newsom, a position she held from July 2019 – August 2024. In this role, Ms. Johnson led a team of over 5,500 employees – the largest Department in the California Health and Human Services Agency – serving over 7 million Californians.
Ms. Johnson started with the California Department of Social Services in 2015 and had previously been appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to serve as Deputy Director of the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division, CalWORKs and Child Care Branch Chief, and Child Care and Refugee Programs Branch Chief.
Ms. Johnson has over 25 years of experience working in both community–based organizations and government focused on advancing the health and well–being of individuals, families, and communities most in need of resources.
The mission of the California Health & Human Services Agency is aligned with her purpose.
Lindsey Sin
Lindsey Sin was appointed as Secretary of CalVet by Governor Gavin Newsom on May 26, 2023. She has served in several roles at CalVet since 2011, including Deputy Secretary of Communications and Deputy Secretary of Women Veterans Affairs. Sin is the first woman to serve as Secretary of CalVet since the appointment of Virginia Mae Days as Director in 1975.
After graduating from high school in her hometown of Sacramento, Lindsey enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1997 until 2005 as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive in the Arabic language. She completed two flight tours in Rota, Spain during which time she deployed in support of Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom, and achieved the rank of Petty Officer First Class with Naval Aviation and Naval Aircrew designations.
After separating from the Navy, Lindsey returned to Sacramento and worked as the Lead Certifying Official for veterans services at American River College. She continued her work with veterans at Sacramento State as the Veterans Benefit Advisor and Certifying Official, focusing on developing programs for student veterans. Lindsey has a BA in History, Magna Cum Laude, from Sacramento State and an MBA from Drexel University.
Christina Snider–Ashtari
Christina Snider–Ashtari serves as Tribal Affairs Secretary to Governor Gavin Newsom and leads the Governor's Office of Tribal Affairs established within the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom on July 1, 2022. Snider–Ashtari was appointed February 19, 2019 by Governor Newsom to continue her service in the Governor's Office following her appointment on February 6, 2018 by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. She has also previously served as Executive Secretary of the California Native American Heritage Commission, appointed by Governors Newsom and Brown. Snider–Ashtari is an enrolled member of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians.
As a member of the Cabinet, Secretary Snider–Ashtari serves as the Governor's Tribal Advisor and oversees effective government–to–government consultation between the Governor's Administration and California tribes; informs, develops and implements policy directives related to tribal governments and Native American communities; leads the California Truth & Healing Council and California Indian Heritage Center Task Force and oversees the Tribal Nation Grant Fund Program.
In addition to her duties leading the Governor's Office of Tribal Affairs, Secretary Snider–Ashtari serves as a member of the California Broadband Council, the Judicial Council Tribal Court–State Court Forum and an ex officio member of the California Advisory Committee on Geographic Names.
Secretary Snider–Ashtari received her law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2013 and is licensed to practice law in California and the District of Columbia. She has extensive experience in tribal law and policy, having worked with the United States Department of Justice Office of Tribal Justice, the National Congress of American Indians, the California Native American Heritage Commission, and several tribal governments and organizations across the nation. Snider–Ashtari received her Bachelor's Degree in History from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Michelle Baass
Michelle Baass was appointed Director of the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021. The Department supports the health of over 13 million Californians.
Before her appointment to DHCS, Ms. Baass served as Undersecretary of California Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) since 2018 and Deputy Secretary of the Office of Program and Fiscal Affairs at Agency from 2017 to 2018. Prior to joining the executive branch, Ms. Baass worked for the Legislature for 13 years, including positions at the California State Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Senate Office of Research, and the California Legislative Analyst's Office.
Ms. Baass earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Ms. Baass is honored to serve Californians.
Marina Wiant
Marina was appointed by Treasurer Fiona Ma as the Executive Director of the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC). Both committees are chaired by Treasurer Ma and play a critical role in financing the construction of affordable rental housing in California.
Prior to her appointment, Marina served since 2012 as Vice President of Government Affairs for the California Housing Consortium (CHC), a statewide, nonpartisan advocate for the production and preservation of housing affordable to low– and moderate–income Californians. At CHC, Marina led a policy and advocacy team that secured the passage of a range of legislation, ballot measures, and budget resources that have transformed the affordable housing industry—including the state's first permanent source of funding for affordable housing since redevelopment and its last statewide housing bond, as well as groundbreaking legislation that has opened new sites to affordable development and accelerated local approvals.
Prior to joining CHC, Marina worked as a legislative staffer in the California State Assembly and interned with the Assembly Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection Committee.
Marina received her J.D. from Santa Clara University, with an emphasis in international law, and received her B.A. from UCLA, majoring in political science and minoring in Global Studies and Russian Language. She was admitted to the California State Bar in December 2010.
Margot Kushel
Margot Kushel, MD is a Professor of Medicine at University of California San Francisco, and Division Chief and Director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations, and Director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. She is a practicing general internist at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Margot's research focuses on the causes and consequences of homelessness and housing instability, with the goal of preventing and ending homelessness and ameliorating the effects of homelessness and housing instability on health. She is the principal investigator of the ongoing NIA funded study, the Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle agE (HOPE HOME) study, which examines the causes and consequences of homelessness in older adults, and the principal investigator of the California Statewide Study of Homelessness. She speaks at a local, state, and national level about issues of homelessness, and frequently provides testimony to legislative bodies. She received her AB from Harvard College, her MD from Yale and completed residency, chief residency, and fellowship in internal medicine at UCSF. Margot is a Board Member of Housing California.
Jennifer Troia
Jennifer Troia was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as the Director of the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in October of 2024. In this role, she leads a team of more than 5,500 employees serving more than 7 million Californians in the largest Department in the California Health and Human Services Agency. Ms. Troia joined CDSS in January 2020 and previously served as Chief Deputy Director overseeing the Child Care and Development Division, Children and Family Services Division, and the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division.
Ms. Troia has more than 20 years of experience working on programs serving children, adults, and families and is deeply passionate about CDSS' mission to serve, aid, and protect those most in need. Prior to her work at CDSS, she served in various capacities in the California Legislature from 2008–2019. Before that, she started her career as an attorney and advocate for children and youth in foster care.
She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida.
She is honored to serve Californians in this leadership capacity.
Erica Pan
Dr. Erica Pan serves as director and state public health officer for the California Department of Public Health, a role she assumed on February 1, 2025. As CDPH director, Dr. Pan strives to embody and promote the values of dignity, equity, compassion and humility. She works with collaborative partnerships to communicate and empower communities and institutions to transform policies and systems to include a “health in all policies” approach, acknowledging that addressing the social determinants of health are fundamental to achieving healthy communities with thriving families and individuals. As California's public health officer, Dr. Pan exercises leadership and legal authority to protect health and prevent disease.
Prior to becoming director, Dr. Pan was the deputy director of CDPH's Center for Infectious Diseases and state epidemiologist beginning in July 2020. Dr. Pan was also the CDPH acting state public health officer from August 10, 2020 to January 3, 2021.
Before joining CDPH, Dr. Pan gained experience at the local level with a focus on infectious disease control & prevention, and public health emergency response. She served multiple roles at the Alameda County Public Health Department between 2011 and 2020, including health officer, director of communicable disease control and prevention, and deputy health officer. Dr. Pan also held several positions at the San Francisco Department of Public Health between 2004 and 2011.
Dr. Pan is a clinical professor for pediatric infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco. She maintained her clinical work in infectious diseases at San Francisco General Hospital and at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals in San Francisco and Oakland.
Dr. Pan received her MD and MPH degrees from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed her undergraduate education at Stanford University.
Kim Rutledge
Kimberly Rutledge, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the Department of Rehabilitation. Rutledge has been Deputy Director of Legislation and Communications at the Department of Rehabilitation since 2022. She held several positions at the California Department of Social Services from 2016 to 2022, including Chief of the Adult Programs Policy and Quality Assurance Branch and Adult Protective Services Program Liaison. Rutledge held several positions at United Domestic Workers of America, AFSCME Local 3930 between 2012 and 2016, including Budget and Policy Analyst and Assistant Legislative Director. She was an Independent Policy Consultant at the County Welfare Directors Association of California from 2011 to 2012. Rutledge was Sweeney Graduate Intern on Disability Policy at the National Academy of Social Insurance in 2011. She was a Graduate Policy Intern at the Disability Community Resource Center from 2010 to 2011.She was a News Copy Editor at the Sacramento Bee from 2005 to 2009. She is a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. Rutledge earned a Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia.
Dina El–Tawansy
Dina El–Tawansy is a trailblazing leader in California's transportation sector, currently serving as the 35th Director of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom, she now oversees the management of more than 50,000 miles of California's highway and freeway lanes and leads a department with a nearly $18 billion budget and a workforce of 22,000 employees. Caltrans operates through six core programs: Aeronautics, Highway Transportation, Mass Transportation, Transportation Planning, Administration, and the Equipment Service Center.
With 27 years of distinguished public service, El–Tawansy brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to public infrastructure. Her career at Caltrans spans three districts and multiple divisions, including leadership roles such as Chief Deputy Director, San Francisco Bay Area (District 4) Acting Director, and Deputy District Director of Operations and Maintenance in Orange County (District 12). Most recently, she served as the Caltrans Bay Area (District 4) Director, becoming the first woman to hold this position in the district's history. In that role, she managed a $2 billion budget and led nearly 3,400 staff across the nine Bay Area counties–Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara. Her oversight included highways, toll bridges, and tunnels, and she remained steadfast in advancing multimodal, sustainable, and equitable transportation solutions.
El–Tawansy holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, and a Master of Science in Construction Management from California State University, Long Beach. She is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of California and a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Her leadership is marked by a people–focused approach, a dedication to innovation, and a passion for mentorship. She is deeply committed to fostering the next generation of engineers and transportation professionals, often mentoring students and early–career professionals. Outside of work, she finds inspiration in nature and enjoys hiking California's scenic trails.
California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin praised her appointment, stating, "Dina brings strong leadership history, extensive transportation expertise and nearly three decades of impressive Caltrans credentials to the helm of the most complex transportation network in the nation."
El–Tawansy's vision is clear: to accelerate the work of Caltrans across all programs and deliver efficient, effective, and inclusive transportation solutions that improve the lives of all Californians.
William L. McGee
William McGee has been at the California Department of Education since July 2022 and currently serves as Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Building Education Success Together (BEST) Branch.
Mr. McGee has dedicated his career to education in various roles, beginning as a paraprofessional, later serving as a computer lab technology specialist, and then as an adult education and vocational (now Career Technical Education) teacher. His transition into administration included roles as a High School Assistant Principal, Middle School Principal, and Director of the Office of African American Student Achievement. During his tenure as a school site administrator, nominated by his peers, he was honored to be recognized by the Association of California School Administrators as Outstanding Administrator of the Year (Region Winner, 2018–19) and Outstanding Co–Administrator of the Year (2014–15). Transitioning to CDE, he was appointed as Director of the Student Achievement and Support Division.
In addition to these leadership roles, Will served for eight years as a member of the Hayward Unified School District Board of Trustees, where he held the positions of Trustee, President, and Vice President. Along with his role on the Board of Trustees, he represented the district as a Delegate to the California School Boards Association.
As a lifelong learner, Mr. McGee earned an Associate's Degree in Liberal Studies from Chabot College, a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies with an option in Communications from CSU Hayward, and an administrative credential. He also completed a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership with an option in Urban Teacher Leadership at CSU, Hayward. His graduate studies have deepened his commitment to culturally relevant teaching and equity, including leading professional development on critical race theory and coordinating workshops focused on race and equity.
On a personal note, Will's inspiration to serve comes in large part from his mother, who recently retired after 40 years of teaching. Her lifelong dedication to students affirmed his own calling to the field of education. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing tennis, refereeing basketball games, traveling, taking selfies, and practicing self–care.