SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Jennifer Mitchell, of Berkeley, has been appointed to the Research Advisory Panel of California. Mitchell has been Associate Chief of Staff for Research at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center since 2021 and a Professor at the University of California, San Francisco since 2002. She is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. Mitchell earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Neuroscience from the University of California, San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Reed College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Mitchell is a Democrat.

Nilu Patel, of Tustin, has been appointed to the California Board of Registered Nursing. Patel has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) at the University of California, Irvine since 2008 and a Faculty Educator, Instructor of Clinical Anesthesiology at the University of Southern California since 2006. Patel was a Faculty CRNA at the University of Southern California, Keck Hospital from 2006 to 2017. She was a CRNA at Kaiser Permanente Bellflower/Downey from 2008 to 2010.  Patel is a member of the California Association of Nurse Anesthetists and a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology. She earned a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Science degree in Nurse Anesthesia from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Southern California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Patel is a Democrat.

Patricia Batchelor, of Redondo Beach, has been appointed to the California Board of Accountancy. Batchelor has been Owner of her business, Patricia Batchelor Certified Public Accountant, since 2004. She earned a Master of Science degree in Taxation from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands. Batchelor is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Alliance of Black Women Accountants. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Batchelor is a Democrat.

Theresa Thompson, of Redondo Beach, has been appointed to the California Board of Accountancy. Thompson has been Partner at PwC since 2019 and held several positions there from 2008 to 2019, including State & Local Tax Director, State & Local Tax Manager, Senior Tax Associate and Tax Associate. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Santa Clara University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Thompson is a Democrat.

Lynn Korwatch, of Alamo, has been appointed to the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun. Korwatch was Executive Director for the Marine Exchange of the San Francisco Bay Region from 2000 to 2023. She was General Manager of Marine Operations at Matson Navigation Company Inc. from 1991 to 2000 and a Deck Officer with Matson Navigation, achieving the rank of Captain in 1988. Korwatch is a member of the California Maritime Academy Foundation, the Council of American Master Mariners, the Office of Spill Prevention and Response Technical Advisory Committee, the National Liberty Museum, the California Maritime Academy Advisory Board, the San Francisco Bay Region Harbor Safety Committee and the U.S. Coast Guard Area Security Committee. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nautical Science from the California Maritime Academy. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Korwatch is a Democrat.

Michael Long, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the Dental Hygiene Board of California. Long has been a Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice with Michael J. Perona DDS and Paul-Ryan Lake DDS since 2022. He has been Clinical Faculty for the Department of Dental Hygiene at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry since 2021. Long is a member of the California Dental Hygienists Association Foundation, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, California Dental Hygiene Educators’ Association, San Francisco Dental Hygiene Society and the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene from Foothill College. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Long is a Democrat.

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