SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Armen Meyer, of San Francisco, has been appointed Senior Deputy Commissioner for the Division of Consumer Financial Protection at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Meyer has held several positions at the American Fintech Council since 2021 including Co-Founder, Advisor, and Board Member. He has held several positions at Millenia Capital since 2021, including Advisor and General Partner. Meyer held multiple positions at LendingClub and LendingClub Bank from 2017 to 2023, including Head of the Public Policy and Government Affairs Team and Vice President of Regulatory Strategy and Policy. He held multiple positions at PriceWaterhouseCoopers from 2011 to 2017, including Managing Director for Financial Services Advisory, Director of Regulatory Strategy, and Chief of Staff for Financial Services Regulatory. Meyer held multiple positions at the New York Banking Department from 2009 to 2011, including Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Superintendent. He held multiple positions in the New York Executive Office from 2007 to 2009, including Assistant Secretary for Economic Development and Communications Director to the Lieutenant Governor. Meyer is an Advisor to FS Vector, FairplayAI, Spring Labs, Pontoro, Raido Capital, University of California Berkeley SkyDeck, The AI Education Project, and Fordham University’s College at Lincoln Center. He is a Board Member of the Gaidz Foundation for Armenian heritage and Valt. Meyer is Head of Partnerships for the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of Northern California, and a member of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition’s Innovation Council, the Exchequer Club of Washington DC, Armenian Assembly and Armenians in Banking and Finance, and supporter of The Mechanicals Theater Company. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School, a Master of Public Administration degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Math from Fordham University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $195,564. Meyer is a Democrat.
Jacob Arkatov, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Medical Board of California. Arkatov has been an Associate at O’Melveny & Myers since 2022. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Georgetown University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Arkatov is a Democrat.
Peter Brierty, of Highland, has been appointed to the Southwestern Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission. Brierty has been a Retired Annuitant at the San Bernardino County Fire Department since 2025. He was a Project Manager at Pacific Heritage, Inc. from 2017 to 2023. Brierty held multiple positions at the San Bernardino County Fire Department from 1978 to 2013, including Fire Marshal, Assistant Chief, and Division Manager. Brierty is the President of the Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern California and a Member of the Fire and Burn Foundation at the San Bernardino County Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from California State University, San Bernardino. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brierty is a Democrat.
Tom Hallinan, of Modesto, has been appointed to the California Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Tom has been a Deputy District Attorney at the Stanislaus County District Attorney Office since 2024 and a Partner at White Brenner LLP since 2012. Hallinan earned a Juris Docter degree from Lincoln School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from California State University, Fresno. He is a member of the Central Valley City Attorney’s Association. This position does not require senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hallinan is a Democrat.
Amanda Steidlmayer, of Woodland, has been appointed to the California Architects Board. Steidlmayer has been the Director of Professional Development at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine since 2022. She was a Program Manager for the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine from 2018 to 2022. She was a Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for the University of California, Davis Graduate Studies Office from 2013 to 2018. She was the Director of Academic Operations and Planning at the University of Davis, California Graduate School of Management from 2013 to 2016. Steidlmayer earned a Master of International Public Policy degree from the University of California, San Diego and a Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from University of California, Davis. This position does not require senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Steidlmayer is a Democrat.
Pamela Brief, of La Crescenta, has been reappointed to the Landscape Architects Technical Committee, where she has served since 2020. Brief has been President of Pamela Studios since 2012. She was Senior Principal at NUVIS from 2019 to 2020. Brief was Senior Principal at Jerde Partnership from 2007 to 2008. She was President of Schirmer Design from 2004 to 2007. Brief was a Landscape Designer and Principal at Walt Disney Imagineering from 1992 to 2004. Brief earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture from Ohio State University. She is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Association of Women in Architecture + Design, and Friends of the LA River. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Brief is a Democrat.