Newsom Announces Four Appointments, Including Two Cal OES Chief Deputy Directors
Governor Gavin Newsom announced four appointments on October 13, his office said.
Elizabeth "Liz" Basnett of Sacramento was appointed Chief Deputy Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), with a salary of $226,620; the post does not require Senate confirmation, and Basnett is registered without party preference. She has served as Director of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority since 2023 (acting director 2021–2023), and previously as Assistant Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency (2020–2023) and Chief of Planning and Preparedness at the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (2017–2018); she holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from Georgetown University.
Brian Ferguson of Sacramento was also appointed Chief Deputy Director of Cal OES, with a salary of $224,328; no Senate confirmation is required, and he is a Democrat. Ferguson has been a senior advisor in the Governor's Office and Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Homeland Security and Emergency Management since 2025, and previously served as Cal OES State Director of Crisis Communication (2019–2024) and as Deputy Director of Media and Public Affairs in Governor Newsom's office in 2019; he holds a master's degree in journalism from Syracuse University.
Keely Linton-Gallardo of Ramona was appointed to the Domestic Violence Program Advisory Council — an uncompensated post requiring no confirmation; she is a Democrat and has been Executive Director of the Strong Hearted Native Women's Coalition since 2017 (Director of Operations 2011–2017) and serves as board chair of the Mesa Grande Business Development Corporation.
Richard Moore of Rancho Cucamonga was appointed to the California Student Aid Commission, a post requiring Senate confirmation with a $100 per diem; he is a Democrat, served as a principal in the ABC Unified School District from 2024 to 2026, previously served as an assistant principal in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District and at Chino Hills High School in the Chino Valley Unified School District, and holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Southern California.
Source: California Governor's Office appointments release, October 13, 2026 (distributed via the Governor's Office subscription feed and posted on gov.ca.gov).
Source: 加州州长办公室
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 加州议会大厦，作者 Radomianin，Wikimedia Commons（File:California State Capitol (top), NW view up.jpg），公有领域
