SACRAMENTO January 2, 2019 – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the following appointments last week:
Thomas Browning, 62, of North San Juan, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2006. Browning has been battalion chief at the North San Juan Fire Protection District since 2012. He was battalion chief at the Grass Valley Fire Department from 1998 to 2011 and deputy fire marshal at the Nevada County Consolidated Fire District from 1993 to 1998. Browning was a correctional officer for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department from 1991 to 1993. He is a member of the Nevada County Farm Bureau, Nevada County Livestock Producers Association and the Native Sons of the Golden West. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Browning is a Republican.
Ann “Shanti” Emerson, 76, of Nevada City, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 2012. Emerson was an instructor at the Academy of Art University from 1996 to 2001 and a teacher at the Paramount Unified School District from 1989 to 1994. She was a teacher at Baldwin Park High School from 1984 to 1989, at Holy Family High School from 1981 to 1984 and at Bishop Conaty High School from 1980 to 1981. Emerson is a member of the Business and Professional Women of Nevada County, American Association of University Women, Soroptimist International of Grass Valley, League of Women Voters of Western Nevada County and the Democratic Women’s Club of Nevada County. She earned a Master of Education degree in English from the United States International University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Emerson is a Democrat.
James Franks, 53, of Grass Valley, has been appointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors. Franks has been a sales representative at First American Title Company since 2010. He was a sales representative at Fidelity National Title Company from 2008 to 2010 and from 1998 to 2007, a loan officer at Olympia Mortgage from 2007 to 2008 and park ranger for the City of Santa Cruz from 1987 to 1998. He is a member of Agricultural Boosters and Livestock Producers. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Franks is a Republican.
Robert “Simi” Lyss, 82, of Nevada City, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where he has served since 2005. Lyss was senior vice president for health affairs and chief medical officer at Health Partners of the Southeast from 1998 to 1999 and regional medical director at Kaiser Permanente’s Northeast Region from 1986 to 1996. Lyss was physician-in-chief and chief of staff at Kaiser Permanente’s Walnut Creek Medical Center from 1975 to 1985 and an assistant physician-in-chief at Kaiser Permanente’s Hayward Medical Center from 1968 to 1975. Lyss earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Lyss is a Republican.
Barbara McDonald, 55, of Grass Valley, has been appointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors. McDonald has been a chief workshop manager for Build-A-Bear Workshop since 2011 and owner of La Vida Buena Ranch since 2008. She was a merchandise manager for Barnes and Noble from 2009 to 2011 and president of Garcia Imports Inc. from 1985 to 2008. McDonald is treasurer of the Nevada County Fair Foundation. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. McDonald is a Republican.
Jeanette Royal, 65, of Grass Valley, has been reappointed to the 17th District Agricultural Association, Nevada County Fair Board of Directors, where she has served since 1993. She has been a realtor at Network Real Estate since 2003. Royal was a financial consultant at A.G. Edwards and Sons from 2000 to 2003. She was a realtor associate at Alta Sierra Real Estate from 1995 to 2000. Royal was owner and facility manager of Royal Oaks Arabians from 1982 to 1996 and an adult education teacher for the Grant Union High School District from 1977 to 1980. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Royal is a Republican.