EVERY year, more than 2,700 appointments are made to various boards and commissions in the State of California, each of whom have to go through California Gov. Jerry Brown’s Appointments Secretary, Mona Pasquil.
Pasquil, a Filipino-American who has served in her current role since 2011, said she has often been asked what the process of becoming a governor’s appointee is like, to which she says: “You have to apply. I applied. It took me three times to do the application but I did. I applied.”
During a community forum at UC Riverside on Thursday, Dec. 10, Pasquil demystified the procedure involved in serving on a board or commission under Brown’s administration.
“If you have the passion to want to serve, and you want to learn, and you want to ask questions, and you want to think about making some change, this is the administration … to do that with,” she said.
In addition to filling out an application, applicants will be subject to a background check and follow up with provided references. Pasquil also said making a personal case in the application as to why one wants to be an appointee can help improve chances of becoming one, as this section is read and shared with the governor and chief of staff.
“That helps us, in a crazy world with a lot to do to really get a feel for who you are,” she said.
She also suggested reaching out to elected officials, as the governor runs into them and may ask about appointee applicants, as well as practicing for the interview.
Applicants who move forward in the process will have about three conversations: the deputy, the subject matter senior advisor to the governor, and then Pasquil, before moving on to Brown.
Although Brown is a Democrat, Pasquil said party affiliation is not the first concern, but rather whether the individual wishes to be a public servant who will participate and is not afraid to ask spirited questions. People should also be prepared to deal with conflicting ideas and opinions, which are found across many boards.
“The governor will say you have to have an opinion, and why do you have that opinion? [Gov. Brown] doesn’t want us all to agree…. If you are on the opposite side of an issue, the governor will just want to know why you feel that way and what’s the background,” she said.
Some positions will require Senate confirmation, and some will require appointees to be US citizens. Additionally, all appointment positions are in Sacramento, so appointees will not be able to work out of a Southern California office or elsewhere if they accept the position.
Throughout the application process, Pasquil said her office is available to help. For instance, if someone interested in serving has scheduling conflicts that limit the number of meetings they are able to attend, or if one wishes to serve on a medical board but have a spouse that is a doctor, she encourages people to talk to her.
Even when an appointee is on a board or commission, Pasquil said her office is also available to provide assistance. If an appointee finds themselves unhappy with where they are serving, she says, “don’t quit. Just call and we’ll see what we can do.”
The Inland Empire is a region from which a lack of applications are received. Pasquil said of the 12,000 applications her office has received, 800 are from Riverside County. Other areas that lack representation on the governor’s boards include the southernmost and northernmost parts of California, the Central Valley and Central Coast.
There are also always fewer women applicants than men.
“My team and I, we always feel that in order to do a good job for you, for the people of the State of California, we have to be out there finding people who are not expecting our call to serve,” Pasquil said.
Young people are also encouraged to consider applying for these appointee positions, as Pasquil said Brown does ask about where they are in the boards and commissions.
“I really believe it’s really important for any of these citizen boards to be successful that we have people from all over the state. So if its not you, then please think about who. Who from this area [can serve]?” she said.
Pasquil has previously served as Chief of Staff to California Lt. Gov. John Garamendi from 2008 to 2009. She was also appointed as Acting Lieutenant Governor when Garamendi was elected to Congress in 2009, marking the first time a woman, Asian Pacific Islander or Filipino-American served in the role. Pasquil is also the president of Pasquil Associates and Strategic Communications. She has directed presidential, gubernatorial and local campaigns across the United States: she served as political director for Gov. Gray Davis’ gubernatorial campaign, California political director for Al Gore’s presidential campaign, deputy political director for John Kerry’s presidential campaign, and western political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs under former president Bill Clinton. n
