Governor Gavin Newsom announced the following CDCR appointments on April 14:
Katie D. James has been appointed Chief of the Office of Victim and Survivor Rights and Services at CDCR, where she has served as Acting Chief since 2020. James held several positions at CDCR from 2006 to 2020, including Assistant Chief and Staff Services Manager at the Office of Victim Services. She was an Associate Governmental Program Analyst for the Special Processing Unit of the Board of Parole Hearings from 2005 to 2006. James held several positions at the Board of Prison Terms from 1996 to 2006, including Victim Assistance Coordinator and Executive Assistant. She was Senior Legal Typist for the Department of Personnel Administration at the California Department of Human Resources from 1994 to 1996. This position does not require Senate confirmation.
Giselle “Gigi” A. Matteson has been appointed Warden at California State Prison, Solano, where she has served as Acting Warden since 2019. Matteson served in several positions at Solano from 2013 to 2019, including Chief Deputy Warden and Associate Warden. She held several positions at San Quentin State Prison from 2007 to 2013, including Staff Services Manager II, Chief Support Executive and Health Program Manager III. Matteson was an Associate Governmental Program Analyst at the CDCR Reception Center Mission from 2006 to 2007. She held several positions at the California Medical Facility from 1996 to 2006, including Associate Governmental Program Analyst, Staff Services Analyst, Office Technician and Medical Transcriber. This position does not require Senate confirmation.
Matthew B. Atchley has been appointed Warden at Salinas Valley State Prison (SVSP), where he has served as Acting Warden since 2019. Atchley held several positions at SVSP from 2004 to 2016 and in 2019, including Chief Deputy Warden, Associate Warden, Correctional Captain, Correctional Lieutenant, Correctional Sergeant and Correctional Officer. Atchley also served in several positions at the Correctional Training Facility, where he was an Associate Warden from 2016 to 2019 and a Correctional Officer from 2002 to 2004. Atchley was an Aviation Mechanic for the United States Navy from 1986 to 1988. Atchley is a member of the Monterey County Peace Officers Association. This position does not require Senate confirmation.