SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Karen Morrison, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Morrison has held multiple positions at the Department of Pesticide Regulation since 2018, including Chief Deputy Director and Science Advisor since 2022, Assistant Director and Chief Science Advisor from 2019 to 2022, and Environmental Program Manager and Science and Policy Advisor from 2018 to 2019. She was a Senior Environmental Scientist and Policy Advisor at the California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery from 2014 to 2018. Morrison was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the California Council on Science and Technology from 2013 to 2014. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, and she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College. This position requires Senate confirmation, and compensation is $213,651. Morrison is registered without party preference. 

Nicholas Lutton, of Fresno, has been appointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Lutton was the Program Manager at Family Voices of California from 2022 to 2024. He was an Educational Resource Specialist at EPU Children’s Center from 2019 to 2022. Lutton is a member of the Editorial Board at the American Association of Pediatrics and Fresno County In-Home Services Advisory Committee. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Lutton is a Democrat.

Eric Bergersen, of Long Beach, has been appointed to the Physician Assistant Board. Bergersen has been the Regional Medical Director at Bicycle Health Medical Group since 2020. He was the APC Director at VEP Healthcare from 2018 to 2020. Bergersen was an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant at VEP Healthcare from 2017 to 2019. He was a Clinical Consultant at GYANT from 2018 to 2019. Bergersen was the Lead Emergency Department Technician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center from 2012 to 2015. He is a member of Physician Assistants in Virtual Medicine and Telemedicine. Bergersen earned a Master of Science degree in Health Care Administration from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from George Washington University, and Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bergersen is a Democrat.

Ed Perez, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Physician Assistant Board. Perez was a manager at Labor Relations and Performance Management, California Department of Water Resources from 2019 to 2024. He was a Labor Relations Specialist, Department of Water Resources from 2015 to 2019. Perez was a Labor Relations Specialist & Labor Relations Analyst at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2013 to 2015. He is a member of the Asian Pacific American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), the Hamptons Community Foundation, the Hamptons Owners Association, the Gardenland-Northgate Neighborhood Association, and a Community Activist with AARP. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Perez is a Democrat.

Drake Dillard, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Disability Access, where he has served since 2020. Dillard has been a Senior Project Manager at Perkins & Will since 2014. He was a Senior Healthcare Architect at Parsons from 2007 to 2013. Dillard was a Project Architect at Kaiser Permanente from 1989 to 1998. He is a member of the Crenshaw Design Review Panel, American Institute of Architects and the National Organization of Minority Architects. Dillard earned a Master of Arts degree in Architecture from Howard University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Dillard is registered without party preference.

Jaqueline Jackson, of San Diego, has been reappointed to the California Commission on Disability Access, where she has served since 2020. Jackson has been a Non-Profit Management Consultant since 1994. She was Development Director and Consultant for the San Diego Center for the Blind from 2002 to 2004. Jackson was Director of Charter School Development for Norman and Norman Inc. from 1996 to 2005. She was an Education Consultant for the School Futures Research Foundation from 1994 to 1996. Jackson was the Director of Education for Health and Family Support Services at the San Diego Urban League from 1988 to 1994. She is a member of the City of San Diego Accessibility Advisory Board, City of San Diego Senior Affairs Advisory Board, and the County of San Diego Registrar of Voters Accessibility Advisory Committee. Jackson earned a Master of Education degree from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, San Diego. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Jackson is a Democrat.