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Youth Empowerment Center News

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the following appointments:

Michael Alpert, 62, of San Diego, has been appointed to the Del Mar Fair Board (22nd District Agricultural Association). He retired as a partner with the firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in 1992 after practicing law for over 30 years. Alpert currently serves on the board of directors for Jack in the Box and is the chairman of the Little Hoover Commission. In the past, he has served on the San Diego Juvenile Justice Commission and was chief deputy commissioner of corporations with the State Regulatory Department. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Alpert is a Democrat.

Maria Caudill, 42, of Rancho Murieta, has been appointed assistant director for communications and public affairs at the Department of Child Support Services. She most recently served as grassroots coordinator for the California Association of Health Facilities. Caudill previously was communications director for the Regional Council of Rural Counties, deputy director of external affairs for the Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs and assistant director of legislation and regulations at the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $76,008. Caudill is a Republican.

Daniel Clift, 55, of Granite Bay, has been appointed to the Area Board III on Developmental Disabilities. He is currently the owner and president of DEC Development. Clift was previously director of construction at Arkad Development and president of his own construction company. He has served on the board of the Eureka Union School District since 1992. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Clift is a Republican.

David De Luz, 35, of Sacramento, has been appointed chief community liaison for northern California at the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency. He has served as deputy appointments secretary with the Office of the Governor since 2004. Before joining the Schwarzenegger Administration, De Luz was the principal of Sigma Consulting, assisting local governments, school districts and non-profit agencies with public advocacy and public affairs management. He has served as outreach coordinator for the Capitol Fellows Programs and as director of communications and community relations for the Grant Joint Union High School District. De Luz is also a former consultant to the Senate Joint Committee on Prison Construction and a legislative assistant with the Department of Corrections and the Department of Parks and Recreation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $71,668. De Luz is a Democrat.

James Duvaras, 78, of Carmichael, has been appointed to the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. He retired as a Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge in 1983 after serving for nine years. Before joining the Superior Court, Duvaras sat as a municipal court judge in the Sunnyvale-Cupertino District of Santa Clara County. Since his retirement, he has acted as an arbitrator and mediator in a number of cases. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Duvaras is a Republican.

Gary Gitnick, M.D., 66, of Encino, has been appointed as a member and the chairman of the Health Professions Education Foundation Board of Trustees. He is currently a professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Digestive Diseases at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine. Before joining the UCLA School of Medicine, Gitnick completed his internship at Johns Hopkins University, trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic and was a research associate at the National Institutes of Health. He recently served on the State Athletic Commission and is a member and former president of the Division of Licensing of the Medical Board of California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Gitnick is registered decline-to-state.

Christopher Giza, M.D., 40, of Culver City, has been appointed to the State Athletic Commission. He currently serves as an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine, as a pediatric neurologist at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital and as a researcher at the UCLA Brain Injury Research Center. Giza performed his internship at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and his residency at UCLA Medical Center. He is a former search and rescue team member for Yosemite National Park and is a member of the American Alpine Club and the Wilderness Medical Society. Giza is board certified in neurology and child neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Giza is registered decline-to-state.

Charlene Grafil, 55, of Brentwood, has been appointed special assistant to the labor commissioner, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement at the Department of Industrial Relations. She previously was director of human resources for MegaPath Networks. Grafil has also served as director of human resources for Castlewood Systems and was personnel supervisor for the law firm of Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $84,996. Grafil is registered decline-to-state.

Eddie Island, 61, of Santa Monica, has been appointed to the Regents of the University of California. Prior to his retirement in 1998, Island served as vice president and associate general counsel for McDonnell-Douglas Corporation where he led the law, intellectual property and governmental affairs departments throughout his tenure. Previously, he served as assistant general counsel for the Pacific Enterprises Corporation for 24 years where he handled issues related to both state and federal regulatory law. Island's experience also includes service as a member and treasurer of the California Science Center Board and chairman of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation Employees Community Fund. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Island is registered decline-to-state.

Courtney Leonard, 25, of Salinas, has been appointed to the Monterey County Fair Board (7th District Agricultural Association). She currently serves as an administrator with the law firm of Duffy and Guenther. Leonard has been involved with the fair since 1994 and currently sits on the Junior Livestock Auction Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no salary. Leonard is a Republican.

Leo Vander Lans, 80, of Long Beach, has been appointed to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. He has served in the Los Angeles court system as an arbitrator and mediator since 1995. Vander Lans was previously a partner in the law firm of Graham and James, specializing in maritime law and financial and contractual disputes. He is the former director of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California and commissioner for the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Vander Lans is a Democrat.

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Youth Empowerment
Lorraine Bowman, President
4249 Manzanita Drive
San Diego, California 92105
info@empowering-youth.org