Governor Newsom announces appointments 1.25.25

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Bret Ladine, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director of the Financial Information System for California (FI$Cal). Ladine has been General Counsel at the California State Transportation Agency since 2022. He was General Counsel at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation from 2020 to 2022, where he was previously Assistant General Counsel from 2016 to 2020. Ladine was a Senior Associate at Hogan Lovells US LLP from 2012 to 2016. He was an Associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC from 2008 to 2012. Ladine was Communications Director for the Office of Congressman Dennis Cardoza from 2003 to 2005. He is a member of Anthony M. Kennedy American Inn of Court. Ladine earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Yale University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $218,376. Ladine is a Democrat.

Alicia Fowler, of Sacramento, has been appointed General Counsel at the California State Transportation Agency. Fowler has been Chief Counsel at the California High-Speed Rail Authority since 2019. She was Deputy Secretary and General Counsel at the California State Transportation Agency from 2015 to 2019. Fowler was Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General from 2008 to 2015, where she was previously Supervising Deputy Attorney General from 2001 to 2008. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $224,364. Fowler is a Democrat.

Basem Muallem, of Chino Hills, has been appointed Statewide Regional Director at the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Muallem has been Vice President at HNTB since 2023. He was Vice President at RailPros from 2019 to 2023. Muallem was Vice President at WSP USA from 2016 to 2019. He was Senior Program Manager at Parsons Corporation from 2015 to 2016. Muallem held several positions at the California Department of Transportation from 1983 to 2015, including District 8 Director, Deputy District 8 Director of Program Management and Right-of-Way, and Deputy District 8 Director of Maintenance. He is a member of the Arab-American Association of Engineers and Architects. Muallem earned a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering, a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from California State University, Long Beach. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $355,008. Muallem is registered without party preference.

Christy Bouma, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (F.A.I.R) Plan Governing Committee. Bouma has served on the State Compensation Insurance Fund since 2024. She was Legislative Affairs Secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom from 2022 to 2024. Bouma was a Principal at Capitol Connection from 2000 to 2022. She was a Teacher for the Hesperia Unified School District from 1989 to 1999. Bouma earned a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from Point Loma Nazarene College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Bouma is a Democrat.