Newsom Appoints Katie Porter to California Community Colleges Board of Governors

Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday announced six appointments, including former U.S. Representative Katie Porter to the California Community Colleges, Board of Governors.

Porter, of Irvine, has been a professor at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law since 2025. She represented the 47th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2023 to 2025 and the 45th Congressional District from 2019 to 2023. She was a law professor at various institutions from 2004 to 2018, and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Yale University. The position requires Senate confirmation and pays $100 per diem.

Ian Vargas Polo, of Oceanside, was also appointed to the California Community Colleges, Board of Governors. He has been Regional Affairs Director Region X for the Student Senate for California Community Colleges since 2026, where he is also Vice Chair and Communications Officer, and a peer advisor at MiraCosta College since 2026. The position does not require Senate confirmation and pays $100 per diem.

Rachel Rosner, of Encino, and Michael Duarte, of Kingsburg, were appointed to the California Housing Partnership Corporation. Rosner has been a partner at Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt, LLP since 2019, where she was an associate from 2011 to 2019. Duarte has been deputy executive director at the Fresno Housing Authority since 2025, where he held several other positions from 2007 to 2025. Both positions require Senate confirmation and carry no compensation.

Douglas McCauley, of Sacramento, was appointed to the California Earthquake Authority Advisory Panel. He has been principal at IMPACT since 2024 and was commissioner of the California Department of Real Estate from 2020 to 2024. The position does not require Senate confirmation and carries no compensation.

Dave Rand, of Agoura Hills, was reappointed to the California Housing Finance Agency Board of Directors, where he has served since 2026. He has been a founding partner at Rand Paster & Nelson since 2022. The position requires Senate confirmation and pays $100 per diem.

All six appointees are Democrats.