California Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Colin Brown State Epidemiologist and named Jay LaPlante and Michela Alioto-Pier to state government positions.
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 5, 2026, (CALIFORNIA NEWS TODAY) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Colin Brown State Epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health as part of three state appointments announced Thursday.
Brown has served as Deputy Director for Epidemic and Emerging Infections and Head of the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections Division at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency since 2020.
Since 2025, he has also served as the agency’s Lead for the National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance and as a Visiting Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Oxford.
Brown has been Co-Director of a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections since 2021 and an Attending Physician in Infectious Diseases at the Royal Free Hospital in London since 2017.
He earned a Medical Degree from the University of Edinburgh, a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Science from the University of St. Andrews.
The State Epidemiologist position does not require Senate confirmation and carries compensation of $282,000.
Newsom also appointed Jay LaPlante Tribal Advisor at the California Public Utilities Commission.
LaPlante has served as a Tribal and Community Engagement Consultant at Kauffman & Associates since 2025. His previous positions include Regional Tribal Liaison at the National Park Service, National Tribal Affairs Advisor at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Tribal Liaison at the California State Office of the Bureau of Land Management.
He is a citizen of the Blackfeet Nation and Founder of the Native Wellness Institute. LaPlante earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Portland State University.
The Tribal Advisor position does not require Senate confirmation and carries compensation of $150,324.
Michela Alioto-Pier of San Francisco was appointed to the California Citizens Compensation Commission.
Alioto-Pier has served as Chief Government Affairs Officer of North American Hull Optimization since 2025 and has been Founder of Alioto-Pier Vineyards since 2005. She previously served as Supervisor for District 2 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2004 to 2011.
She earned a Master of Arts degree in National Security Policy from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
The California Citizens Compensation Commission appointment does not require Senate confirmation and provides compensation of $100 per diem.
For more information, visit www.gov.ca.gov.
Source: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom