Governor Newsom announces appointments 8.4.2026

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Luis Garnica, of Sacramento, has been appointed Warden of Mule Creek State Prison at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he has been serving as Acting Warden since 2025. Garnica was Acting Chief Deputy Warden at the California Medical Facility in 2025. He was Chief of the Population Management Unit at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2023 to 2025. Garnica held multiple positions in the Health Care Placement Oversight Program at the California Correctional Health Care Services from 2021 to 2023 including, Acting Chief, Captain and Classification Staff Representative. He was Correctional Counselor III at the Correctional Health Care Facility from 2020 to 2021. Garnica held multiple positions at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility from 2014 to 2020 including, Acting Correctional Counselor III, Correctional Counselor II, Correctional Counselor I, and Sergeant. He was a Correctional Officer at Centinela State Prison from 2006 to 2014. Garnica earned a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from California Coast University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $199,332. Garnica is registered with no party preference.
 
Jolie Poper, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy General Counsel of the Enterprise Division in the Office of Legal Affairs at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Poper has been Assistant General Counsel at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2025. She held multiple positions at the California Highway Patrol from 2009 to 2025 including, Assistant Chief Counsel, Attorney IV and Attorney III. Poper held multiple positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2005 to 2009 including, Staff Counsel and Staff Counsel for the Employment Advocacy and Prosecution Team. She was a Legal Counsel at the California Union of Safety Employees from 2000 to 2005. Poper earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $236,112. Jolie is a Democrat.

Joseph Cannata, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board. Cannata has been Chief Development Officer at Twin Summitt Coffee Ventures, LLC since 2025. He was Co-Founder and President at Daytrip Brands & Co from 2019 to 2025. Cannata was Executive Vice President of Sales and Distribution at Rockstar Energy Drink from 2001 to 2017. He was Campaign Manager for the Gavin Newsom Re-election Campaign for San Francisco Supervisor from 2000 to 2001. Cannata was Assistant to the Executive Producer at Don Johnson Production from 1998 to 2000. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Saint Mary’s College of California. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Cannata is a Democrat.

Vincent Hoenigman, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board, where he has been serving since 2021. Hoenigman has been Founder and Vice President of CityMark Development since 2000. He was Founder and Director of Proxicom from 1995 to 2001. Hoenigman is a member of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association and the Board of Trustees for the National Parks Conservation Association. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hoenigman is a Democrat.

Natalie Arroyo, of Eureka, has been reappointed to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation Board of Directors, where she has served since 2019. Arroyo has been a Supervisor at Humboldt County since 2023. She has been Lecturer at California State University, Humboldt since 2018. Arroyo held several positions at Redwood Community Action Agency from 2007 to 2022, including Senior Planner for Natural Resources Services and Planner for Natural Resources Services. She is member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Arroyo earned a Master of Science degree from California Polytechnic University, Humboldt and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Arroyo is a Democrat.