SACRAMENTO, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom announced the following appointments:
Becca Prowda, 41, of San Francisco, has been appointed director of protocol in the Office of Governor Newsom. Prowda was director of community affairs at Levi Strauss & Co. from 2009 to 2019. She was deputy director of protocol in the Office of San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom from 2008 to 2009, where she also served as confidential assistant to the Mayor from 2004 to 2007. Prowda was events manager at the Robin Hood Foundation from 2000 to 2004. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100,008. Prowda is a Democrat.
Kathleen Kelly Janus, 41, of San Francisco, has been appointed senior advisor on social innovation in the Office of Governor Newsom. Janus was a lecturer at Stanford University’s Program on Social Entrepreneurship from 2013 to 2019 and was a teaching fellow at Stanford Law School from 2007 to 2012. She worked as pro bono counsel at Covington & Burling from 2009 to 2013 and was an associate at Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP from 2003 to 2007. She co-founded Spark in 2005. Janus earned a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $60,000. Janus is a Democrat.
Rhonda Craft, 59, of Sacramento, has been appointed inspector general for the California Department of Transportation. Craft has served as director of the Office of Traffic Safety at the California State Transportation Agency since 2014, where she was driver safety branch chief for the Licensing Operations Division from 2011 to 2014. Craft was assistant division chief/program manager at the California Department of Motor Vehicles from 2005 to 2011, where she was driver safety manager from 1998 to 2005, principal driver safety officer from 1990 to 1991 and a program technician from 1984 to 1987. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $198,024. Craft is a Democrat.
Christina Alicia Spagnoli, 37, of Carmichael, has been appointed deputy secretary of legislation for the Government Operations Agency. Spagnoli was vice president of state government relations at the California Bankers Association from 2018 to 2019. She was capitol director for Assemblymember Blanca Rubio from 2016 to 2018, chief lobbyist and legislative director for Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California from 2014 to 2016 and legislative director in the Office of California State Assembly Majority Whip Jimmy Gomez from 2013 to 2014. Spagnoli was senior legislative aide in the Office of California State Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Nora Campos from 2011 to 2013, scheduler and legislative aide in the Office of Assemblymember Gilbert Cedillo from 2010 to 2011 and a fellow in the Office of Assemblymember Dave Jones from 2008 to 2009. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $145,008. Spagnoli is a Democrat.