SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Gabrielle Santoro, of Sacramento, has been appointed Chief Deputy Director at Emergency Medical Services Authority. Santoro has held several roles at the California Department of Finance since 2016, including Principal Program Budget Analyst III, Principal Program Budget Analyst II, Staff Finance Budget Analyst, Finance Budget Analyst and Junior Staff Analyst. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Brandeis University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $178,232. Santoro is a Democrat. 

James Yu, of Fremont, has been reappointed to the Dental Board of California, where he has served since 2018. Yu has been a dentist at James K. Yu DDS since 1984, where he has also been an acupuncturist since 2008. He has been a radio talk show host at AM 1450 since 2000, and radio talk show president and owner at the Chinese Today Radio Station since 2015. Yu is member of the American Dental Association, California Acupuncture Association, San Francisco Dental Society, Application of Acupuncture in Dental Practices, Northern California Chinese Media Association, San Francisco Chinatown Salvation Army, American Association of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, and the American Society of Chinese Medicine. He earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, and Master of Science degrees in Acupuncture and Medical Tai Chi from the University of East-West Medicine. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Yu is a Republican.

Michael Long, of San Francisco, has been reappointed to the Dental Hygiene Board of California, where he has served since 2023. Long has been a Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice with Michael J. Perona DDS and Paul-Ryan Lake DDS since 2022. He has been Clinical Faculty for the Department of Dental Hygiene at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry since 2021. Long is a member of the California Dental Hygienists Association Foundation, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, California Dental Hygiene Educators’ Association, San Francisco Dental Hygiene Society, and the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Dental Hygiene from Foothill College. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Long is a Democrat.

Diego Inzunza, of Castro Valley, has been reappointed to the Physician Assistant Board, where he has served since 2020. Inzunza has been a physician assistant in the Department of Plastics/Burn and Reconstructive Surgery at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center since 2022. He was a physician assistant in the Emergency Department at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center through United States Acute Care Solutions/VEP Healthcare from 2018 to 2022. He was a physician assistant at University Medical Partners from 2021 to 2022. He was a Group Supervisor with the San Mateo County Probation Department from 2015 to 2019. Inzunza was a Medical Translator at Santa Clara County from 2012 to 2016. He was a Community Outreach Coordinator for the City of San Jose Vice Mayor from 2010 to 2014. Inzunza is a member of the California Academy of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants. He earned a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Samuel Merritt University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Science from University of California, Santa Cruz. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Inzunza is a Democrat.