On Nov. 21, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the following appointments:
Guillermo Viera Rosa has been appointed undersecretary of operations at CDCR, where he has served as director of the Division of Correctional Policy Research and Internal Oversight since 2018 and served in several positions from 2013 to 2018, including director of adult parole operations, southern regional parole administrator, associate director of parole and parole administrator. Viera Rosa was a deputy commissioner at the Board of Parole Hearings from 2007 to 2009. He held several positions at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2000 to 2007, including parole agent, supervisor, and correctional counselor. Viera Rosa served as a San Bernardino County probation officer from 1995 to 2000. He earned a Master of Arts degree in social science and leadership studies from Azusa Pacific University. This position requires Senate confirmation.
Hillary Iserman has been reappointed deputy superintendent of correctional education at CDCR, where she has served as deputy superintendent of correctional education since 2017. She was assistant chief of education at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2016, where she served in several positions from 2000 to 2016, including supervisor of correctional education programs, supervisor of academic instruction, and teacher. This position does not require Senate confirmation.
Brantley Choate has been reappointed director of the Division of Rehabilitative Programs at the CDCR, where he has served as director of the Division of Rehabilitative Programs since 2017. Choate was superintendent of correctional education at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2014 to 2017. He was director of inmate educational programs at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department from 2011 to 2014, director of adult education at the Sacramento City Unified School District from 2008 to 2011 and held multiple positions at the Hayward Adult School from 2007 to 2008, including principal and assistant principal. He founded the Golden Hills School in 1992, where he was principal from 1992 to 2003, and was owner of the El Dorado Tutorial Center from 1990 to 1993. Choate was an English as a second language teacher for the Liberty Union High School District from 1988 to 1990 and for the Brentwood Union School District from 1987 to 1991. He earned Doctor of Education and Master of Arts degrees in educational leadership from Saint Mary’s College. Choate was confirmed to this position by the Senate in 2018.
Kevin Hoffman has been reappointed deputy director of program operations in the Division of Rehabilitative Programs at the CDCR, where he has served as deputy director of program operations in the Division of Rehabilitative Programs since 2015. Hoffman was deputy executive director at the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission from 2011 to 2015, where he was mental health program supervisor in 2011. He held multiple positions at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in the Office of Substance Abuse and Treatment Services from 2001 to 2011, including staff services manager, associate governmental program analyst and staff services analyst. He was a youth correctional counselor at the Karl Holton Youth Correctional Facility in 2001, where he was a youth correctional officer from 2000 to 2001. This position does not require Senate confirmation.
Ryan Souza has been reappointed deputy director for program support at the Division of Rehabilitative Programs of CDCR, where he has served as deputy director for program support at the Division of Rehabilitative Programs since 2016. Souza served in several positions in the Budget Management Branch of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2013 to 2016 and in 2011 and 2009, including chief of budget field operations, assistant chief of technical operations, staff services manager, associate budget analyst and budget analyst. He was a medical contract analyst at Valley State Prison from 2009 to 2011. Souza earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Humphreys University School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation.
Shannon Swain has been reappointed superintendent at the Office of Correctional Education at CDCR, where she has served as superintendent at the Office of Correctional Education since 2017 and was deputy superintendent from 2014 to 2017. Swain was a subject matter expert of correctional education at Synergy Correctional Technology Services from 2012 to 2014. She served in several positions at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parolee educational programs, operated by the Contra Costa County Office of Education, from 1989 to 2012, including principal, program manager, project coordinator and teacher. Swain was an assistant program manager at Orange County Youth and Family Services from 1984 to 1989. This position does not require Senate confirmation.