Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Page 3
Local Attorney Named to Contractors License Board
Governor Taps Three Additional Lawyers Statewide for Agency Posts
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday announced his selection of Paul Schifino to a second term as a member of the Contractors State License Board.
Schifino, 49, of Gardena, is an inactive member of the State Bar and has served on the board since last year. He has served as president of the Junior Steel Company since 2003 and the Anvil Steel Corporation since 1996, and owns both companies.
Before registering as inactive with the State Bar in 1999, Schifino was a partner in Schifino and Lindon from 1992 to 1996, an associate attorney at Strook and Strook and Lavan from 1990 to 1992, and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University from 1987 to 1989.
He graduated from Loyola University in Louisiana before attending Georgetown for law school and earning his license to practice in California in 1990.
Brown also named Sacramento attorney Howard L. Schwartz chief deputy director of the Department of Personnel Administration, tapped Michael A. Dean of Oakland for the California Commission on Disability Access, and selected Ed Lowry to a seat on the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board.
Schwartz, 53 has been senior staff counsel at CalPERS since 2003. He previously served as chief counsel of the Department of Personnel Administration from 1999 to 2003, special legal counsel for SEIU Local 1000 from 1984 to 1999, associate attorney at Beeson, Tayer & Bodine from 1983 to 1984, and staff attorney at the California Public Employment Relations Board from 1982 to 1983.
Dean, 69, has served on the Commission on Disability Access since 2009 as the representative from the California Business Properties Association. He is a partner with Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP, where he has practiced since 1967.
He attended CSU San Jose and UC Berkeley’s law school before gaining admission to the State Bar.
Lowry, 59, has been a part-time hearing officer for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation since 2009. Prior to this he was a deputy attorney general for the State of California from 2005 to 2007 and from 1988 to 1995.
He was director of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control from 1999 to 2005, the director of the environmental project of the California District Attorneys Association from 1995 to 1999, a deputy city attorney for the city of San Francisco from 1987 to 1988, and a partner at the firm of Gruenich and Lowry from 1985 to 1987.
Lowry is also a founder and corporate secretary for 13th Avenue Funding, a non-profit which seeks to create a non-debt alternative for low-wealth students to finance their college education
He is a graduate of Yale University and Stanford Law School. Lowry earned his law license in 1977.
Each of the governor’s appointments require Senate confirmation.
Compensation for Schifino and Dean is $100 per diem, while Schwartz will receive $132,396 and Lowry, $111,845.
Schifino is registered decline-to-state, Dean is a Republican, and Schwartz and Lowry are Democrats.
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