Governor Newsom announces appointments 6.30.2026

SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Tomiquia Moss, of Oakland, has been appointed Secretary at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Moss has been Secretary at the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency since 2024. She was Founder and Chief Executive Officer at All Home from 2019 to 2024. Moss was Chief Executive Officer at Hamiliton Families from 2017 to 2019. She was Chief of Staff for the City of Oakland Mayor's Office from 2015 to 2017. Moss was Executive Director at HOPE SF within the San Francisco Mayor's Office from 2013 to 2015. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Government from Ohio Wesleyan University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $254,450. Moss is a Democrat.

Sasha Kergan, of Sacramento, has been appointed Undersecretary at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Kergan has been Deputy Secretary of Housing at the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency since 2021. She held several positions at the Department of Housing and Community Development from 2017 to 2021, including Data and Innovation Chief in the Housing Policy Division and Housing Policy Specialist. Kergan was an Asset Manager at the Oakland Housing Authority from 2015 to 2017. She was an Asset Manager at Resources for Community Development from 2012 to 2015. Kergan was Business Development Consultant at Quadel Consulting Corporation from 2010 to 2011, where she held several positions from 2003 to 2008, including Operations Manager and Program Analyst. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Urban Planning from University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $224,940. Kergan is a Democrat.

M. Dhakshike Wickrema, of Los Angeles, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Homelessness at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Wickrema has been Deputy Secretary of Homelessness at the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency since 2022. She was Senior Deputy for Homelessness and Housing at the Office of Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas in the City of Los Angeles from 2020 to 2022. Wickrema was Senior Deputy for Homelessness and Mental Health for the Office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in the County of Los Angeles from 2015 to 2020. She was a Senior Project Manager at Shelter Partnership Inc. from 2007 to 2015. Wickrema earned a Master of City Planning degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Illinois Wesleyan University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $197,772. Wickrema is a Democrat.

Christina Mun, of Alameda, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Housing Finance at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Mun has been Deputy Secretary of Housing Finance at the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency since 2025. She was Chief Strategy Officer for LeSar Holdings from 2023 to 2025. Mun held multiple positions at the City of Oakland Housing and Community Development Department from 2020 to 2023, including Interim Director, Deputy Director, and Chief of Staff. She was Multifamily Lending Senior Project Manager for the City and County of San Francisco Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development from 2019 to 2020. Mun was Associate Director of Policy and Portfolio Analytics for the New York City Housing Development Corporation from 2017 to 2019. She was Senior Project Manager for the Division of Strategic Planning for New York City Housing Preservation and Development from 2015 to 2017. Mun was an Acquisitions Project Manager for Resources for Community Development from 2013 to 2015. She was a Development Project Manager for John Stewart Company from 2009 to 2013. Mun was an Associate Consultant for Bay Area Economics from 2000 to 2004. She is a board member of East Bay Housing Organizations and member of the ULI San Francisco Housing the Bay Steering Committee. Mun earned a Master of Arts degree in Urban Planning from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies from University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $191,112. Mun is a Democrat.

Erica Gonzalez, of Pico Rivera, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Civil Rights and Strategic Initiatives at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Gonzalez has been Deputy Secretary of Equity and Strategic Initiatives at the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency since 2021. She was Vice President of Student and Family Supports at Pueblo Nuevo Education and Development Group from 2018 to 2021. Gonzalez was Senior Policy Advisor at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2013 to 2017. She was Director of Public Policy and Community Partnerships at Green Dot Public Schools from 2008 to 2013. Gonzalez was Associate Director at Barrio Action Youth and Family Center from 2006 to 2008. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $184,848. Gonzalez is a Democrat.

Kaitlin Talbot, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Talbot has been Deputy Secretary of Communications at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency since 2026. She was Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2024 to 2026. Talbot held multiple roles in the Office of Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon in the California State Assembly from 2019 to 2023, including Director of Communications and Deputy Director of Communications. She was Special Projects Producer at KTXL FOX40 from 2014 to 2019. Talbot was a Reporter and Producer at Capitol Television News Service from 2014 to 2015. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies and History from University of California, Santa Cruz. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $171,000. Talbot is a Democrat.

Anastasia Carney, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of External Affairs at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Carney has been Deputy Secretary of External Affairs at the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency since 2024, where she was Senior Advisor from 2022 to 2024. She was Deputy Director for Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom from 2019 to 2022. Carney was Marketing and Outreach Director at the Health Professions Education Foundation from 2018 to 2019. She was a Program Associate at The California Endowment from 2013 to 2018. Carney held several positions in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2011 to 2013, including External Affairs Coordinator, Special Assistant to the First Lady and Special Counsel Anne Gust Brown and Assistant Scheduler to the Governor. She held several positions in the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2008 to 2011, including Director of Scheduling and Program Director and Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff in the Office of First Lady Maria Shriver. Carney earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $163,872. Carney is a Democrat.

Vishesh Anand, of Los Angeles, has been appointed Senior Advisor at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Anand has been Senior Advisor at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency since 2025. He was Deputy Director of Special Projects at the Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom in 2025, where he was Deputy Regional Director of External Affairs from 2022 to 2025. Anand was a Public Engagement Deputy for Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs at the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti from 2021 to 2022. He was a Field Deputy at the Office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin from 2020 to 2021. Anand was a Client Engagement Representative at Aspiration in 2020. He was an Operations Manager at Kinetic Society LLC from 2019 to 2020. Anand was a Business Analyst at Kinetic Society LLC from 2017 to 2019. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Global Studies from University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $140,004. Anand is registered with no party preference.

Patricia "Patti" Ochoa, of Elk Grove, has been appointed Special Assistant to the Secretary at the California Housing and Homelessness Agency. Ochoa has been Special Assistant to the Secretary at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency since 2025, where she has held several positions since 2013, including Staff Services Manager I, Administrative Assistant II and Administrative Assistant I. She was the Administrative/Executive Assistant at the California Air Resources Board from 2008 to 2013. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $112,240. Ochoa is a Democrat.

Jennifer Hanson, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of Communications at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Hanson has been Assistant Deputy Director of External Affairs at the California Department of Housing and Community Development since 2023. She held two positions at the California State Controller's Office including Press Secretary from 2019 to 2022, and Public Information Officer II from 2015 to 2019. Hanson was Communications Director at the Office of State Senator Roderick D. Wright in the California State Senate from 2011 to 2014. She was Communications Director at the Office of State Senator Dean Florez in the California State Senate from 2002 to 2010. Hanson was Press Secretary at the Office of State Assemblymember Dean Florez in the California State Assembly from 2000 to 2002. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $156,246. Hanson is a Democrat.

Kevin Hefner, of Sacramento, has been appointed Assistant Director of External Affairs at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Hefner has been Senior Policy Advisor at the California Department of Housing and Community Development since 2024. He was a Policy Liaison at the County of San Mateo from 2023 to 2024. Hefner has held two positions at the California Department of Housing and Community Development from 2020 to 2023, including Housing Policy Manager from 2021 to 2023 and Legislative Specialist from 2020 to 2021. Hefner was a Policy Specialist at City of San Jose Department of Transportation from 2018 to 2020. He was a Legislative Aide at the California State Assembly from 2014 to 2018. Hefner earned a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Southern California, Sol Price School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Occidental College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $123,000. Hefner is a Democrat.

Angela Kim, of Sacramento, has been appointed General Counsel at the Housing Development and Finance Committee. Kim has been Attorney IV at the California Department of Housing and Community Development since 2022, where she was Attorney III from 2017 to 2021, and Attorney I from 2011 to 2017. She was a Contract Attorney from 2010 to 2011. Kim was a Research Assistant at the University of San Francisco, School of Law in 2010. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $209,748. Kim is a Democrat.

Dave Rand, of Agoura Hills, has been appointed to the California Housing Finance Agency Board of Directors. Rand has been a Founding Partner at Rand Paster & Nelson since 2022. He was an Attorney and Partner at Armbruster Goldsmith and Delvac LLP from 2012 to 2022. Rand is a member of the California Housing Partnership Board of Directors. He earned a Juris Doctor degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Rand is a Democrat.