Local brief
Governor names two Cal OES chief deputy directors and fills two state board seats
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 13, 2026, appointed Elizabeth "Liz" Basnett and Brian Ferguson, both of Sacramento, as chief deputy directors of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and named appointees to the Domestic Violence Program Advisory Council and the California Student Aid Commission.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office announced four appointments on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026.
Office of Emergency Services. Elizabeth "Liz" Basnett of Sacramento was appointed Chief Deputy Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). She has led the California Emergency Medical Services Authority since 2023, after serving as its acting director from 2021. The post does not require Senate confirmation and pays $226,620 a year.
Brian Ferguson of Sacramento was also appointed a Chief Deputy Director at Cal OES. He has been senior advisor and deputy cabinet secretary for homeland security and emergency management in the governor's office since 2025, and was Cal OES state director of crisis communication from 2019 to 2024. The post does not require Senate confirmation and pays $224,328 a year.
Domestic Violence Program Advisory Council. Keely Linton-Gallardo of Ramona, in San Diego County, executive director of Strong Hearted Native Women's Coalition since 2017, was appointed to the council. The seat is unpaid and does not require Senate confirmation.
California Student Aid Commission. Richard Moore of Rancho Cucamonga, in San Bernardino County, a former principal in the ABC Unified School District, was appointed to the commission, which oversees state college financial aid. The seat requires Senate confirmation and pays $100 per diem.
Original source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, "Governor Newsom announces appointments," Oct. 13, 2026 (https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/10/13/governor-newsom-announces-appointments-10-13-2026/). Notice Nearby wrote this brief in its own words.
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Source: the public notice on this register NN-GOVEMAIL-20261013-CAAPPTS · Office of the Governor of California.
This is a Notice Nearby local brief — an in-house explainer written from a government-posted notice on this register. It is not official minutes, not a newspaper story, and not Legal Publication.