Gonvernor Anounces More Appointments

Paul Benedetto, 51, of Elk Grove, has been appointed deputy secretary of operations at the California Technology Agency. Benedetto has been director of the Office of Systems Integration at the California Health and Human Services Agency since 2008 after serving as chief deputy director from 2007 to 2008. He was chief of the Information Systems Division in the Infrastructure Support Section at the Department of Motor Vehicles from 2005 to 2007, and the chief of the Administrative Services Bureau in the Information Systems Division of the State Controller’s Office from 1999 to 2004. Benedetto was a data processing manager in the Information Management Division of the California Highway Patrol from 1996 to 1999, and was chief of staff of the Hawkins Data Center in the Electronic Data Processing Contracts and Procurements Section at the California Department of Justice from 1995 to 1996. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $130,000. Benedetto is a Democrat.

Anna Brannen, 53, of Elk Grove, has been appointed deputy secretary of policy at the California Technology Agency. Brannen has been the chief information officer at the Board of Equalization since 2007. She was deputy director at the Office of Technology Services from 2005 to 2007 and principal budget analyst in the Legislative Analyst’s Office from 1999 to 2005. Brannen was a data processing manager at the Department of Information Technology from 1997 to 1999 and data processing manager at the Employment Development Department from 1986 to 1997. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the salary is $130,000. Brannen is registered decline-to-state.

Joan Hancock, 58, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Contractors’ State License Board. Hancock has been the principal of Her Land & Co. Construction since 1983. She was a law clerk in the Sacramento County Office of the Public Defender from 1980 to 1982. Hancock is a certified mediator and received her Juris Doctor degree from Lincoln Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hancock is a Democrat.

Sharon Levine, 65, of Palo Alto, has been appointed to the Medical Board of California. Levine has been the associate executive director at Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente since 1991. Between 1977 and 1991, she served in a number of other positions with Permanente Medical Group including chief of pediatrics and chief of quality assurance for the Fremont Medical Center. Levine was a staff pediatrician at Georgetown University Community Health Plan from 1975 to 1977. She received her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Levine is a Democrat.

Dan Richard, 60, of Piedmont, has been appointed to the Board of the High Speed Rail Authority. Richard has been a principal of Dan Richard Advisors since 2010. He was managing partner and co-founder of Heritage Oak Capital Partners, an infrastructure finance firm, from 2007 to 2009 and was senior vice president of public policy and governmental relations at Pacific Gas and Electric Company from 1997 to 2006. Richard was an elected member of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District from 1992 to 2004, where he served twice as president of the Board. At the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Richard led efforts to secure $4 billion in capital for system rehabilitation projects, the transit system’s expansion to the San Francisco Airport and seismic retrofit programs. Richard was a principal at Morse, Richard, Weisenmiller & Associates from 1986 to 1996, a firm serving the independent power industry and project finance lending community. He was vice president of Independent Power Corporation from 1983 to 1986. Richard served as Governor Brown’s deputy legal affairs secretary from 1982 to 1983 and deputy assistant for science and technology from 1978 to 1979. He was advisor to the chairman of the California Energy Commission from 1978 to 1982. Richard began his career at National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where he was assistant to the deputy associate administrator from 1972 to 1978. Richard received his Juris Doctor degree from McGeorge School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Richard is a Democrat.