Golden State Today

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced several new appointments to key positions within California's state agencies and commissions.

Emily Warren, from Orinda, has been appointed as the Deputy Secretary for Innovative Mobility Solutions at the California State Transportation Agency. Warren brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles, including her work as an Advisory Venture Partner at Fontinalis Partners, LLC since 2019 and various leadership positions in public policy at EverCharge, Embark Trucks, Amazon, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, Lime, and Lyft. Her educational background includes a Master of Public Administration degree in Public Finance from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Critical Gender Studies from the University of California, San Diego. This position does not require Senate confirmation and offers a compensation of $176,004. Warren is affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Eva Spiegel from Davis has been named Deputy Director of Communications at the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Spiegel previously served as Senior Communications Specialist at Kearns & West and founded Spiegel Communications. Her past roles also include Director of Communications for the League of California Cities and Director of Broadcast Operations and Special Projects at the American Communications Foundation. She holds a Master’s degree in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts from California State University, San Francisco, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Davis. The role does not require Senate confirmation with a compensation set at $150,000. Spiegel is also a Democrat.

Suzy Shuster from Beverly Hills will join the California Film Commission. Shuster is currently Co-Host and Executive Producer for Women’s Sports Now on RokuChannel and Co-Host of What the Football Podcast. Her media career includes hosting duties on The Rich Eisen Show and reporting roles with ESPN 710's USC Trojans Pregame Show, ABC Sports, NBA on TNT, Fox Sports Net/West, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and ESPN’s SportsCenter. Shuster graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in History and Art History from Columbia University. This appointment does not require Senate confirmation nor does it offer compensation. Shuster identifies as a Democrat.

Thomas “Tom” Huntington from San Francisco has been appointed to the State Park and Recreation Commission. Huntington's career spans consulting in non-profit organization management since 2013 along with prior roles such as Western Regional Development Director for the Environmental Defense Fund and River Protection Campaign Coordinator for Friends of the River Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Teaching from the University of Oregon. Unlike other appointments mentioned here, this position requires Senate confirmation but provides compensation on a per diem basis amounting to $100 per day worked. Huntington is associated with the Democratic Party.