We are happy to share that Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced two appointments for the Department! JaRita B. Pichon was appointed as our new Chief Equity Officer, leading Service Access and Equity Division. She will join the Department in mid-January. JaRita previously held several roles with the Department of Public Health since 2018, most recently as the manager for the Healing, Equity for All, Anti-Racism, and Trauma-responsive Transformation (HEART) team. JaRita’s leadership will further enhance the Department’s efforts to make regional center services more accessible for Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
Governor Newsom also appointed Pete Cervinka as Director of the Department. Pete has served the Department as Acting Director since September 2024 and as its Chief Deputy for Data Analytics and Strategy since 2020. He has more than 25 years of leadership, program management, and policy development experience in various roles across state agencies. More information about Pete is in his bio on the Department’s website.
