Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California’s rural counties.
Thomas Gibson, of West Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the California Department of Water Resources. Gibson has been Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Water Resources since 2024, where he was Chief Counsel from 2021 to 2024. He held multiple positions at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2014 to 2020, including Deputy Secretary and Special Counsel for Water, Undersecretary, and General Counsel. Gibson held multiple positions at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2007 to 2014, including General Counsel and Assistant Chief Counsel. He held several roles at Best, Best, & Krieger LLP from 2002 to 2008, including Partner and Associate. Gibson was an Associate at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara PC from 1999 to 2002 and at Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard PC from 1997 to 1999. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $245,288. Gibson is registered without party preference.
Courtney Henderson, of Truckee, has been appointed to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board. Henderson has been the Founder and President of Hawks Peak Strategies since 2024. She has been a Council Member on the Town of Truckee City Council since 2020. Henderson was Head of Market Strategy at Resource Innovations from 2022 to 2023. She was Mayor of the Town of Truckee from 2021 to 2022. Henderson was Chief Strategy Office at the See Change Institute from 2021 to 2022. She was Vice Mayor of the Town of Truckee from 2020 to 2021. Henderson held multiple positions at ILLUME Advising, LLC from 2014 to 2021, including Senior Managing Consultant, Managing Consultant, and Project Manager . She was an Adjunct Faculty at Touro University California from 2014 to 2016. Henderson was the Director of Development at The Sun Also Rises Foundation from 2006 to 2007. She was the Executive Director at the GAIA Vaccine Foundation from 2004 to 2006. Henderson earned a Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Public Health degree from Brown University, and a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Biology and Nutrition from Cornell University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $250 per diem. Henderson is a Democrat.
Juan Higuera, of Santa Barbara County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court. Higuera has served as a Deputy Public Defender at the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office since 2018. He worked as an Associate at multiple firms including at Hathaway Firm from 2016 to 2018 and at Hager & Dowling from 2015 to 2016. He served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office from 2013 to 2015. Higuera received a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John McGregor. Higuera is a Democrat. The compensation for this position is $244,727.
Nancy Pacheco, of Woodland, has been appointed to the California Library Services Board. Pacheco has been Outreach Specialist II at Yolo Reads of Yolo County Library since 2019, where she was a Bilingual Library Assistant at Ready for Kindergarten from 2016 to 2019. She was an Advocate Support Specialist at Yolo Court Appointed Special Advocate from 2014 to 2016. Pacheco is the President of the Northern California Literacy Coalition, the Northern California Representative of Youth Services Interest Group of the California Library Association, and Vice President of Literacy Interest Group of the California Library Association. She earned a Master of Library and Information Science degree from California State University, San Jose, a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Pacheco is a Democrat.
Stephanie Shirkey, of Sacramento County, has been appointed to serve in an interim appointment as a Judge in the El Dorado County Superior Court. Shirkey has served as a Lead Attorney at the Third District Court of Appeal since 2023. She served as a Senior Research Attorney at the Sacramento County Superior Court from 2021 to 2023. Shirkey served as an In-House Counsel at the California Department of Health Care Services from 2020 to 2021. She worked as a Senior Policy and Compliance Counsel at the California Apartment Association from 2019 to 2020. Shirkey worked as the Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the California Association of Health Plans from 2018 to 2019. She served as a Deputy and Principal Deputy Legislative Counsel at the Office of Legislative Counsel from 2006 to 2018. Shirkey received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Vicki Ashworth. The Governor’s appointment allows her to immediately assume the position she was otherwise elected to begin in January 2027. Shirkey is registered as No Party Preference. The compensation for this position is $244,727.
Jaci Thomson, of Roseville, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Interagency Support Division at the California Department of General Services. Thomson has been Special Advisor to the Directorate at the California Department of State Hospitals since 2026. She was Deputy Director of the Patient Care Coordination Division at the California Department of State Hospitals from 2021 to 2026. Thomson was Principal Program Budget Analyst III at the California Department of Finance from 2014 to 2021. She was the Budget and Compliance Officer at the California Office of Planning and Research and California Volunteers from 2008 to 2014. Thomson was Principal Program Budget Analyst III and a Finance Budget Analyst at the California Department of Finance from 2000 to 2007. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from the University of Iowa. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $195,492. Thomson is a Democrat.
Claire Zurcher-Hamm, of Three Rivers, has been appointed to the California Library Services Board. Zurcher-Hamm has been Director at Tulare County Public Law Library since 2024, where she was a Research Assistant from 2022 to 2024. She is a Secretary of the Academy of Law and Justice Advisory Committee at Visalia Unified School District and member of the Council of California County Law Libraries, Northern California Association of Law Libraries, American Association of Law Libraries and Tulare County Bar Association. Zurcher-Hamm earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Rhetoric from University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Zurcher-Hamm is a Democrat.