Governor Newsom appoints leaders to natural resources agency, economic development office

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced several new appointments to key positions in state agencies and boards.

Daniel Villaseñor, based in Sacramento, will serve as Deputy Secretary for Communications at the California Natural Resources Agency. Villaseñor previously worked as Deputy Director of Communications in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom since 2024 and has held various roles there since 2022, including Deputy Press Secretary and Manager of Strategic Initiatives. Before joining the governor’s office, he was Communications Director in the California State Senate from 2021 to 2022. His earlier experience includes roles at Randle Communications between 2018 and 2021 and founding DW Digital Consulting from 2016 to 2018. Villaseñor holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Communication from George Washington University. The position does not require Senate confirmation, with compensation set at $165,240. He is registered as a Democrat.

Blake Kaiser-Lack, also of Sacramento, has been named Assistant Deputy Director for External Affairs and Operations at the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Kaiser-Lack was most recently Director of Scheduling at the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom since 2022 and has held multiple roles there since 2020, such as Special Assistant to the Governor for Briefings and Correspondence. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Government and Economics from Georgetown University. This appointment does not require Senate confirmation; compensation is $114,756. Kaiser-Lack is a Democrat.

Sushma Bhatia, from Cupertino, has been reappointed to the Board of Environmental Safety where she has served since 2022. Bhatia currently works as Global Business and Applied AI Director at Google after serving as Global Head of Strategy and Operations there from 2019 to 2024. Her previous roles include positions at Accenture between 2014 and 2019 and co-founding Dreeya where she served as Chief Executive Officer from 2012 to 2016. She also worked for the San Francisco Department of the Environment from 2003 to 2013 focusing on toxics reduction programs. Bhatia holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley; an MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Southern California; and a BS in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay. This role requires Senate confirmation with compensation set at $93,135. She is a Democrat.

“These individuals bring deep experience in communications, business development, environmental safety, technology innovation—and are well equipped to help advance our work building a better future for all Californians,” said Governor Newsom.