Governor Brown Appointments

Governor Brown Appoints Russell Attebery to the Commission

Russell Attebery, 62, of Happy Camp, has been appointed to the California Native American Heritage Commission. Mr. Attebery has been council chairman of the Karuk Tribe of California since 2012. He was a teacher and athletic director at Happy Camp High School from 2009 to 2012, substitute teacher for Shasta County Schools from 2003 to 2008 and quality control supervisor and sawyer at Sierra Pacific Industries from 1982 to 2003. Mr. Attebery is a member of the American Professional Baseball Association.

Governor Brown Appoints Reginald Pagaling to the Commission

Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr announced the appointment of Reginald Pagaling, of Santa Barbara, to the California Native American Heritage Commission on March 28, 2013

Mr. Pagaling is an enrolled member of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and a tribal elder. He has devoted his time to re-establishing the traditional maritime culture of the Tribe since 1996, and has also served as chairman of the Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Committee of Santa Barbara County since 2010. Pagaling was tribal education program coordinator for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians from 1993 to 1996. He was public relations manager for the Chumash Casino Resort from 1991 to 1993 and was cultural resources coordinator and Native American monitor at the Tribal Elders Council of Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians from 1988 to 1990. Pagaling built the Tomol “Muptami of Kalawashaq,” a traditional Chumash plank canoe, and co-organizes the annual Tomol crossing from Channel Islands Harbor to Santa Cruz Island. Pagaling is a member of the Chumash Maritime Association.

Governor Brown Appoints Tribal Advisor

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the appointment of
Cynthia Gomez, to the Governor’s Tribal Advisor and Executive Secretary for the Native American Heritage Commission.

Gomez has been the chief justice for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Court since 2010. She was assistant secretary of environmental justice and tribal governmental policy for the California Environmental Protection Agency from 2008 to 2010, chief of the Native American Liaison Branch for the California Department of Transportation from 1999 to 2008, and a housing and community development representative for the California Department of Housing and Community Development from 1989 to 1999. Gomez is a member of the Tribal and State Court Forum for the California Administrative Office of the Courts and has served as chair of the Transportation Research Board’s Native American Transportation Issues Committee. Gomez received a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Northern California, Lorenzo Patiño School of Law.

Governor Brown established this position by Executive Order to bolster communication and collaboration between California state government and Native American Tribes. The Tribal Advisor will serve as a direct link between the Governor’s Office and tribal governments on matters including legislation, policy and regulation.For more information, click here.

Contact Info:

Cynthia Gomez, Tribal Advisor

nahc@pacbell.net

916-653-6211