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Deputy Secretary of Legislation and Policy
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Deputy Secretary of External Affairs
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Assistant Secretary of Legislation
Melinda Grant
Melinda Grant was appointed Undersecretary at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency in January 2019. Previously, she served as deputy legislative secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019 and in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. dating back to 2016. Before that, she was deputy director of legislation and policy review at the California Department of Consumer Affairs from 2014 to 2016 and an advocate at Platinum Advisors from 2006 to 2014. She was a legislative aide in the Office of California State Senator Kevin Murray from 2003 to 2006 and was a legislative analyst at the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees from 2001 to 2003.
Grant is a member of the California State University Sacramento Governmental Alumni Association and Leadership California. She earned a Master of Arts degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco.
Amy Manasero
Amy brings over 21 years of experience in government administration. In 2022 she was appointed as the Deputy Director of Administration for the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications within the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. Amy also held various leadership roles in incident response, business operations, budgeting, accounting, and program support across the California Departments of Public Health and Fish and Wildlife. Previous to that, she served in governmental program support roles at California Correctional Health Care Services and the Department of Social Services. Amy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Sacramento.
Tad Egawa
Tad Egawa was appointed General Counsel at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency in January 2019. Previously, Egawa was chief counsel at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration from 2017 to 2019. He was general counsel at the California Department of Housing and Community Development from 2015 to 2017, assistant commissioner of legal affairs at the California Bureau of Real Estate from 2013 to 2015, deputy attorney general at the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General from 2009 to 2013 and a shareholder at McDonough, Holland and Allen PC in 2009, where he was of counsel in 2007 and 2008. Egawa was assistant general counsel at the Ryland Group Inc. from 2004 to 2007 and an associate at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler and Marmaro LLP from 1999 to 2004, at Tuttle and Taylor from 1998 to 1999 and at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter and Hampton LLP from 1996 to 1997.
He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law.
Annie Carney
Annie Carney was appointed Senior Advisor at the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2022. Prior to joining BCSH, she was the Deputy Director of Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. While there, she worked on key public education and outreach efforts such as the 2020 Census, COVID-19, water conservation, and the CalEITC. Annie served as the Marketing and Outreach Director at the Health Professions Education Foundation in 2018 and was a Program Associate at The California Endowment from 2013 to 2018. She held several positions in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. from 2011 to 2013 and in the Office of First Lady Maria Shriver from 2007 to 2011. Annie earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Laurance Lee
Laurance Lee is an Assistant Deputy General Counsel for the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. His work at BCSH focuses on matters related to the Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Prior to joining BCSH, Laurance was a community lawyer at Legal Services of Northern California. During his eight years there, he litigated civil rights cases on behalf of individuals experiencing homelessness, defended numerous tenants from eviction, and maintained healthcare and public benefits access for Sacramento residents. Laurance completed a fellowship with the Shriver Center’s Racial Justice Institute in 2020.
Jason Piccione
Jason Piccione was appointed in December 2020 as Agency Chief Information Officer. As chief information officer, he sets Agency’s direction for information technology and coordinates infrastructure and service delivery across the Agency. Prior to his appointment, Piccione served as DCA’s chief technology officer. He has held various positions at the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education and the Contractors State License Board. Piccione has worked more than 22 years in public service. He obtained a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Davis.
Tawny Macedo
Tawny Macedo is the Housing Policy Manager at the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH). She supports the Deputy Secretary of Housing on a variety of housing initiatives to preserve and expand affordable housing. Tawny focuses on interagency collaboration and the intersection of housing with health, climate, transportation, and tribal entities with an emphasis on equitable outcomes.
Before joining BCSH, she served as Senior Fair Housing Manager in HCD’s Housing Policy Division. During that time, Tawny grew the California Indian Assistance Program and served as the Tribal Liaison for the Department. She also worked at Placer County Health and Human Services, California Department of Social Services, and served as commissioner for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. Tawny earned a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of California, Davis and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of the Pacific.
Tiffany Garcia
Tiffany Garcia is the Deputy Secretary of Fiscal Policy and Administration. Prior to joining BCSH, Tiffany worked at the Department of Finance since 2014, where she was a Principal Program Budget Analyst. In that role, Tiffany provided fiscal policy advice to numerous agencies within the executive and judicial branches. Before working at the Department of Finance she served as a budget analyst at the Department of Health Care Services, and as staff for the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Task Force in the Office of the Governor. Tiffany graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Sacramento.
Lila Mirrashidi
Lila Mirrashidi is the Deputy Secretary of Business and Consumer Relations, where she works closely with BCSH departments that oversee the alcoholic beverage industry, the cannabis industry, horse racing and the licensing of more than 250 types of professionals. Before joining the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, Lila served as the Deputy Commissioner for Policy at the Department of Business Oversight (DBO). She had previously been Deputy Commissioner of DBO’s Legal Division, and prior to that served as Deputy Commissioner of Business Regulations at the Department of Corporations. Lila earned a law degree from the University of California Hastings College of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Sasha Kergan
Sasha (Wisotsky) Kergan was appointed Deputy Secretary of Housing at the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH) by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2021. She leads the coordination of housing programs, activities, and investments to preserve and expand affordable housing and address the State’s housing needs. Sasha works closely with BCSH departments that oversee all aspects of housing, including the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the California Housing Finance Agency, and the Department of Real Estate. She also represents BCSH on several interagency efforts to advance equity and housing goals and to build more climate-friendly housing faster.
Prior to joining BCSH, Sasha held several positions at HCD from 2017 to 2021, where she last served as the Housing Policy Division Data and Innovation Chief. She integrated a data and research driven approach towards HCD priorities, led HCD’s role in shaping the development of an Executive Order that creates housing on excess state-owned property, and was one of the leaders of Homekey – a recognized model of adaptive reuse to sustain and rapidly expand housing for people exiting homelessness. Before joining HCD, Sasha worked at the Oakland Housing Authority, Resources for Community Development, and Quadel Consulting Corporation. She earned a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban and Community Development from the University of California, Berkeley.
Russ Heimerich
Russ Heimerich was appointed by Governor Brown as Deputy Secretary of Communications for the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency in September 2015. Mr. Heimerich serves as the advisor to the Secretary on external affairs, communications and media issues pertaining to the Agency’s departments, boards, bureaus and commissions.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Heimerich served as the Deputy Director for Communications at the Department of Consumer Affairs. He has also worked as a spokesperson at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and as the local Morning Edition host/producer at Capital Public Radio.
Mr. Heimerich earned his bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and his master’s degree in Journalism at the Ohio State University. He resides in Sacramento with his wife and rescue cats.
Dhakshike Wickrema
Dhakshike Wickrema was appointed Deputy Secretary of Homelessness at the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency by Governor Gavin Newsom in March, 2022. Dhakshike has more than 15 years of experience in addressing homelessness in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Most recently she served in the Office of Los Angeles City Council District 10, where she was Senior Deputy for Homelessness and Housing. She has also served as Senior Deputy for Homelessness and Mental Health in Los Angeles County, where she supported efforts in 2017 to pass Measure H, which funds housing and services to prevent and end homelessness in Los Angeles. She has also worked at Shelter Partnership, a nonprofit focused on public policy and advocacy related to homelessness and affordable housing, and for the World Bank’s Poverty Alleviation, Health Services and Social Development sectors. Dhakshike earned a Master of City Planning degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
April Martinez
April Martinez is honored to serve as the Executive Fellow at BCSH for the 2023-2024 year. Inspired by her parents and her community, April wants to work to create a thriving and equitable California for all. She received her Bachelor's degree in Human Biology from Stanford University. April was a Stanford in Government 2022 Summer Stipend Recipient, which fully funded her nine-week internship with Kim McCoy Wade, Senior Advisor on Aging, Disability, and Alzheimer’s for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. During her time at Stanford, she became an active member of the Latinx community to further work to educate students about identity and positionality through different organizations and leadership positions. In Summer 2020, April was a Policy and Organizing Intern for the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, a non-profit organization focused on farmworker rights, immigrant rights, and environmental justice.
Yiwen (Eva) Erickson
Yiwen (Eva) Erickson is a Fiscal Analyst directly supporting the Deputy Secretary of Fiscal Policy and Administration. Prior to joining BCSH, she worked for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) formerly the Board of Equalization. She worked in multiple departments in various capacities, including her last assignment with the Settlement Section of the Legal Department, where she provided assistance to legal staff in evaluating settlement proposals. Ms. Erickson has a degree in Civil Engineering.
Brian Skewis
Brian Skewis is the Budget Manager at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH). Before joining BCSH, he served in various roles within the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) from 2009 to 2020, including Budget Manager. In this role he developed and implemented a series of budget reporting tools designed to achieve user serviceable reporting from the Fi$Cal system by DCA’s various boards and bureaus. Brian graduated from the California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Business.
Erica Gonzalez
Erica Gonzalez was appointed Deputy Secretary of Equity and Strategic Initiatives at the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021. Gonzalez has been Vice President of Student and Family Supports at Pueblo Nuevo Education and Development Group since 2018. She was Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2015 to 2017. She was Director of Public Policy and Community Partnerships at Green Dot Public Schools from 2008 to 2013 and Associate Director at Barrio Action Youth and Family Center from 2006 to 2008. She was Intergovernmental Relations Analyst at the Los Angeles Community Development Commission from 2004 to 2006 and Project Manager and Grants Coordinator at Barrio Action Youth and Family Center from 2002 to 2004. Gonzalez earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Jill Lukins
Jill Lukins is the Deputy General Counsel for the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. Prior to joining BCSH, Jill served as Senior Lead Counsel for the Department of Social Services, overseeing legal services provided to the Housing and Homelessness Division and Child Care Development Division on complex state and federal grant programs. Jill previously served as Assistant Chief Counsel for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), supervising a team of attorneys and providing legal counsel to CalSTRS as the Director of the Legal Services Division. She began her public service career at CalSTRS, initially serving as Ethics and Compliance Counsel and providing direct legal support to the Board Governance Committee of the Teachers’ Retirement Board. Jill also spent ten years in private practice with Jacobson Markham L.L.P., working as a litigation paralegal and then associate attorney on litigation matters involving business, construction, and agriculture.
Jill earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, in 2009, graduating with magna cum laude honors. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento.
Tomiquia Moss
Tomiquia Moss was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as the Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency in November 2023 and was sworn in on February 13, 2024. As Secretary, Tomiquia leads and oversees 12 entities, including 40 boards and bureaus, collectively responsible for the preservation and expansion of safe, affordable housing, efforts to prevent and end homelessness, protect consumers, and safeguard Californians’ civil rights.
Tomiquia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and public sectors with deep expertise in housing and homelessness, public policy, civil rights, and community development. She is a dynamic and visionary leader, known for her ability to bring people together to tackle complex problems in a strategic and collaborative way.
In 2019, Tomiquia founded All Home, a Bay Area organization advancing regional solutions to disrupt the cycles that perpetuate homelessness and poverty. In its first four years, All Home convened the Regional Impact Council that developed two ambitious regional plans, and built a team to implement those plans to increase housing and economic security for people with extremely low incomes in the Bay Area. They have advocated successfully for state and local policy change, launched multiple new programs, and granted millions of dollars to nonprofit and local government partners to prevent homelessness and create economic mobility for the people who need it most.
Before founding All Home, Tomiquia served as the CEO of Hamilton Families, which offers emergency, transitional, and permanent housing services for families experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. From 2014 to 2017, she served directly under the mayors of both San Francisco and Oakland, including as Chief of Staff for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the HOPE SF Initiative, a public housing and neighborhood revitalization effort with the office of the late San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. Tomiquia also served as the founding project director of the San Francisco Community Justice Center of the Superior Court of California.
In 2022, Tomiquia was appointed by Senate Pro-Tem Toni Atkins to serve as a member of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. As BCSH Secretary, she now serves as co-chair of Cal ICH. Tomiquia is a former board president for both SPUR and the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, former co-chair of the Bay Area Council’s Homelessness Committee and of the Black Leadership Council, and former board member for Oakland Promise. She served as an Advisory Committee member for the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority from its inception until her appointment as Secretary. She remains a board member of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation.
Tomiquia holds a Masters’ in Public Administration from Golden Gate University. She and her family are proud to call Oakland home.