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Sep 16, 2025

Governor Newsom announces appointments 9.16.25

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Dominic Roques, of San Luis Obispo, has been appointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. Roques was Senior Engineering Geologist at the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board from 2001 to 2021. He was a Water Resources Education Coordinator at the California State Water Resources Control Board from 1999 to 2001. Roques was an Environmental Consultant for California Coastal Conservancy in 1999. He was Principal and Owner of Roques Wildland Resources from 1993 to 1999. Roques was a Project Manager at BASELINE Environmental Consulting from 1991 to 1993. Roques is Board President of the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District. He earned a Master of Science in Wildland Resource Science and a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Texas, Austin. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Roques is a Democrat.

Alex Rodriguez, of Santa Barbara, has been reappointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board, where he has served since 2023. Rodriguez has been Chief Executive Officer of Conduit Government Relations since 2022 and President of Diversity Consulting Group LLC since 1995. He is President of La Cumbre Mutual Water Company, a member of the Dean's Council of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at University of California, Santa Barbara and the United States Environmental Protection Agency National Drinking Water Advisory Council. Rodriguez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from Antioch University Santa Barbara. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Rodriguez is a Democrat.

Stephanie Harlan, of Capitola, has been reappointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2021 and from 2018 to 2019. Harlan was a City Councilmember for the City of Capitola from 2010 to 2017. She was a Registered Nurse II at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital from 1996 to 2015. Harlan was a City Councilmember for the City of Capitola from 1994 to 2006. She was a Registered Nurse II at Watsonville Community Hospital from 1984 to 1996. Harlan was a City Councilmember for the City of Capitola from 1984 to 1992. She was a Registered Nurse I at Santa Cruz Community Hospital from 1983 to 1984. Harlan is a member of the Santa Cruz County League of Women Voters and Friends of the Capitola Library. She served on the Santa Cruz County Sanitation District from 2008 to 2018, Santa Cruz County Hazardous Materials Advisory Committee from 2008 to 2015, Santa Cruz County Solid Waste Committee from 2008 to 2014, and the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council from 2006 to 2015. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Harlan is a Democrat.

Elena Lee Reeder, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2022. Lee Reeder has been Board President of Reclamation District 1000 Board since 2022, where she has been a Board Member since 2019. She was a Partner at Leeder Strategies LLC from 2017 to 2020. Lee Reeder was Press Secretary in the Office of Assemblymember David Chiu in the California State Assembly from 2016 to 2017. She held multiple roles in the Office of Assemblymember Cristina Garcia in the California State Assembly from 2013 to 2016, including Press Secretary and Legislative Aide. Lee Reeder held multiple roles in the Office of State Senator Leland Yee in the California State Senate from 2010 to 2013, including Scheduler and Legislative Aide. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Political Science from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Lee Reeder is a Democrat.

Arthur Baggett, of El Portal, has been reappointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2024. Baggett has been Partner and Counsel at AG Baggett and PJ Weber Inc. since 2011 and Adjunct Faculty at the San Joaquin College of Law since 1997. He had  multiple roles at the State Water Resources Board from 1999 to 2011, including Chair and Member. Baggett was the District One County Supervisor for Mariposa County from 1986 to 1994. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from San Joaquin College of Law, a Master of Science degree in Ecosystem Management and Forest Ecology from Antioch College, and Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Cincinnati. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Baggett is a Democrat.

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Nancy Wright, of Whitewater, has been reappointed to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2012 and served from 2000 to 2007. Wright has been Co-Owner at Peter Wright General Contractor since 1977. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Wright is a Republican.

Sabrina Ashjian, of Camarillo, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2022. Ashjian has been Founder of Ashjian Consulting since 2019. She was a Supervising Attorney at the California Environmental Legislation and Policy Clinic at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law from 2022 to 2025. Ashjian held multiple roles at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law from 2021 to 2023, including Clinical Supervising Attorney at the Environmental Law Clinic and Law Lecturer. She was California State Director of the Humane Society of the United States from 2019 to 2021. Ashjian was Chairperson of the California Cannabis Control Appeals Panel from 2018 to 2019. She was a Deputy District Attorney at the Fresno County District Attorney's Office in the Consumer Fraud and Environmental Protection Unit from 2015 to 2018. Ashjian was an Associate at Stammer, McKnight, Barnum and Bailey LLP from 2014 to 2015. Ashjian was a Public Defender at the Fresno County Public Defender's Office from 2010 to 2014. She is President of California Women Lead, Chair of the American Red Cross Central California Region Pacific Coast Chapter, and Chair of the American Bar Association Civil Rights & Social Justice Section Environmental Justice Committee. Ashjian earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University, a Master of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business from George Washington University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Ashjian is a Democrat.

Norma Camacho, of Camarillo, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2022. Camacho was Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Watersheds at Santa Clara Valley Water District from 2012 to 2020. Camacho held several positions at the Ventura County Public Works Agency from 1990 to 2012, including Director of the Watershed Protection District, Deputy Executive Officer in the Chief Executive Officer's Office, Program Management Analyst in the Chief Executive Officer's Office, Senior Waste Management Analyst, and Waste Management Analyst III. She was an Environmental Engineer at the United States Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Port Hueneme from 1985 to 1990. Camacho is on the Board of Directors for the Stillwater Sciences and the Watershed Solutions Network. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Camacho is a Democrat.

Gregory Guisti, of Kelseyville, has been reappointed to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2013. Guisti has been Director and Advisor of Forests and Wildlands Ecology at the University of California Cooperative Extension since 1985. He was an Agricultural Biologist for the San Mateo County Department of Agriculture from 1981 since 1985. Guisti was Chief Biologist at the Marine Ecological Institute from 1978 to 1981. He is a member of the California Forest Pest Council and of the Western Section of Wildlife Society. Guisti earned a Master of Arts degree in Ecology and Population Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Systemic Biology from California State University, San Francisco. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Guisti is registered without party preference.

Betty Olson, of Trabuco Canyon, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2014. Olson has been a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine School of Engineering since 2018, where she was a Professor from 2006 to 2018. She was a Professor in the Department of Environment, Health and Policy at the University of California, Irvine School of Social Ecology from 1974 to 2006. Olson is President of the Santa Margarita Water Board and the Association of Clean Water Administrators Water Quality Committee and a member of the Water Environment Federation and the Orange County Water Association. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of California, Irvine. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Olson is registered without party preference.

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Mark Ransom, of Walnut Creek, has been reappointed to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Board, where he has served since 2023. Ransom was a Partner at ERM West Inc. from 1990 to 2021. He was Manager of Environmental Affairs for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company from 1984 to 1990. Ransom was Senior Environmental Engineer at Ecology and Environment Inc. from 1980 to 1984. He was a Waste Management Engineer at the California Waste Management Board from 1978 to 1979. Ransom is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of California. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Ransom is a Democrat.

Sixto "Al" Lopez, of Corona, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2023. Lopez was Founder of Inland Empire Infill Homes from 2017 to 2020. Lopez was Community Relations Manager for Continental East Development Inc. from 2018 to 2020. He was a City Councilmember for the City of Corona from 1982 to 1994. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Lopez is registered without party preference.

John Scandura, of Huntington Beach, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2021. Scandura held several positions at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control from 1985 to 2018, including Branch Chief for the Site Mitigation and Restoration Program, Remediation Project Manager, and Remediation Program Supervisor. He was Staff Scientist at Tetra Tech from 1983 and 1985. Scandura earned a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Scandura is registered without party preference.

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