Governor Newsom announces appointments 9.29.26
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Tara Fouch-Moore, of Mariposa, has been appointed to the Native American Heritage Commission. Fouch-Moore has been Director of Landscape Stewardship at the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation since 2022, where she was Outreach Coordinator from 2020 to 2022. Fouch-Moore was Conference Services and Catering Sales Manager at AC Hotel by Marriott from 2018 to 2020. She is Secretary of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation Tribal Council and member of the Steering Committee. Fouch-Moore earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Language Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Fouch-Moore is a Democrat.
Thomas Gibson, of West Sacramento, has been appointed to the Wester States Water Council. Gibson has been the Director at the California Department of Water Resources since 2026, where he held multiple positions including Chief Deputy Director from 2024 to 2026 and Chief Counsel from 2021 to 2024. He held multiple positions at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2014 to 2020, including Deputy Secretary and Special Counsel for Water, Undersecretary, and General Counsel. Gibson held multiple positions at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2007 to 2014, including General Counsel and Assistant Chief Counsel. He held several roles at Best, Best, & Krieger LLP from 2002 to 2008, including Partner and Associate. Gibson was an Associate at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara PC from 1999 to 2002 and at Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard PC from 1997 to 1999. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $25 per diem. Gibson is registered without party preference.
Jacqueline Francis, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California African American Museum Board of Directors. Francis has been Dean of the Humanities and Sciences Division at the California College of the Arts since 2024, where she has held multiple positions from 2008 to 2024, including Professor, Academic Engagement Coordinator, Associate Professor, Chair of Graduate Program in Visual and Critical Studies, Associate Professor of Graduate Program in Visual and Critical Studies, and Senior Lecturer of Graduate Program in Visual and Critical Studies. Francis was Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor from 2000 to 2008. She is Co-founder of the Association for Critical Race Art History, Secretary of the National Committee for the History of Art, and Advisory Board Member of Third Text and Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art. Francis earned a Doctor of Education degree in History of Art from Emory University, a Master of Arts degree in African American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Dartmouth College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Francis is a Democrat.
