SACRAMENTO: California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Naginder Dhillon from Sacramento to serve as the Deputy Director of Program Support within the Division of Rehabilitative Programs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Dhillon, who previously held the role of Associate Director since 2019, brings a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of California. Notably, this appointment does not necessitate Senate confirmation, and the compensation for the role is set at $166,008. Dhillon is affiliated with the Democratic Party.
On February 16, Governor Gavin appointed Hemant Dhingra of Clovis to serve on the Medical Board of California. Dhingra brings extensive experience to the role, having served as Chief of Medical Staff at Saint Agnes Medical Center of Fresno since 2023, where he also held the position of Founding Program Director of Internal Medicine. Additionally, he has been President of the Nephrology Group since 2014. Dhingra is affiliated with esteemed professional organisations including the American Society of Nephrology and the California Medical Association. He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed his Fellowship in Nephrology at Texas Tech University. Notably, this appointment requires Senate confirmation, with compensation set at $100 per diem.
Gavin also appointed Nisha Devi Rodrigo of San Francisco to the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Rodrigo, founder of Kala Wellness, also serves as an Eastern Medicine Practitioner with the United Nations since 2018. With past experience in communications for MP Graham Allen in the UK Parliament and as a Hansard Scholar at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2000, Rodrigo brings a diverse background to her new role.