SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Seth Judd, of Napa, has been appointed Medical Director of Napa State Hospital at the Department of State Hospitals. Judd has served in several positions at the Department of State Hospitals since 2018, including Chief of Psychiatry, Senior Psychiatric Supervisor, and Senior Forensic Psychiatrist Specialist.  Judd has been owner and psychiatrist at Personal Psychiatry and Forensic Consulting Inc. since 2021, and a psychiatrist at Liberty Healthcare/Maguire Correctional Facility since 2018. He was a Forensic Psychiatry Fellow at University of South Carolina School of Medicine from 2017 to 2018. Judd was a Psychiatrist at South Carolina Department of Corrections from 2017 to 2018. He was Medical Staff at Integrative Wellness, LLC from 2016 to 2017. He was Medical Staff at Valle Vista Health System from 2015 to 2017. He was a Resident Physician at Indiana University School of Medicine from 2013 to 2017. Judd earned his Doctor of Osteopathy from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences from Midwestern University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Brandeis University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $448,716. Judd is registered with no party preference.

Irene Valdez, of Stockton, has been appointed to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities. Valdez has been an Educational Consultant at the Consortium on Reading Excellence since 2022. She was an Instructional Coach and Teacher at Stockton Unified School District from 2012 to 2021. Valdez earned a Master of Education degree from Benedictine University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Design from University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem.  Valdez is a Democrat.

Michelle Bello, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the State Rehabilitation Council. Bello has been an Education Programs Consultant at the California Department of Education since 2021. She was a Principal at Lodi Unified School District from 2018 to 2021. Bello was a Vice Principal II at Stockton Unified School District from 2015 to 2018. She was a Teacher at Stockton Unified School District from 2004 to 2015. Bello is a member of the Association of Filipino Americans in Education and Phi Delta Kappa, University of the Pacific Chapter. She earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Inquiry from Teacher’s College of San Joaquin and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from California State University, Stanislaus. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bello is registered with no party preference.

Philip DaVisio, of Galt, has been appointed to the Physician Assistant Board. DaVisio has been a Supervisory Physician Assistant and Hospital Lead Physician Assistant at Kaiser Permanente since 2016, and Assistant Professor at A.T. Still University, College for Health Communities since 2021. He was an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant at Envision HealthCare, Dameron Hospital Emergency Department from 2018 to 2023. DaVisio was a Regional Physician Assistant Director at Valley Emergency Physicians from 2011 to 2014. He was a Physician Assistant and Site Director at Valley Emergency Physicians from 2004 to 2017.  DaVisio is a member of the Society of Emergency Medicine Physician Assistants, California Academy of Physician Assistants, and the American Academy of Physician Associates. He earned a Doctor of Medical Science degree in Healthcare Administration and Management from the University of Lynchburg, a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from A.T. Still University and a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Kettering College of Medical Arts. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. DaVisio is registered with no party preference.