Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of Martin Tejeda to the Sacramento Superior Court bench on May 15. 

 

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Governor Gavin Newsom announced on May 23 the following appointments.

Andrew “Tristan” Peery of Sacramento has been appointed senior product manager at the Office of Data and Innovation. Peery has been director of web and interactive communications at University of California, Davis since 2020, where he was previously web applications development/web designer from 2014 to 2020.

Peery held multiple positions at Oregon State University from 2006 to 2013, including researcher/web applications developer and graduate research assistant. Peery was a staff scientist at Woods Hole Group from 2001 to 2005. He earned a Master of Science degree in physical oceanography from Oregon State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in marine science from Texas Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College of Texas University at Galveston. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $150,348. Peery is registered without party preference.

Madelynn McClain of Sacramento has been appointed director of the Division of Administrative Services at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. McClain has been assistant deputy director of the Division of Adult Institutions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since 2024.

McClain held several positions at the Department of General Services from 2023 to 2024, including deputy director of the Real Estate Services division and chief financial officer. She held several positions at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation from 2020 to 2023, including deputy director at the Office of Fiscal Services and associate director of the Budget Management Branch. McClain was a principal program budget analyst at the California Department of Finance from 2017 to 2020. She was a judicial fiscal supervisor at the Judicial Council of California from 2015 to 2017. McClain was a finance budget analyst at the Department of Finance from 2003 to 2015. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $208,440. McClain is a Democrat.

Governor Newsom announced Martin Tejeda’s appointment to the Sacramento Superior Court bench on May 15.

“Martin Tejeda’s appointment to the bench is a testament to his commitment to justice and his exceptional skill in navigating the complexities of the legal system,” Sacramento Superior Court Presiding Judge Bunmi O. Awoniyi said.

Tejeda of Yolo County has served as a commissioner at the Sacramento Superior Court since November 2022.

“Throughout his time as commissioner, he has been an invaluable asset, expertly managing some of our most challenging calendars with grace and dedication,” Awoniyi added. “His extensive experience in criminal law will undoubtedly continue to be a vital asset to our court, ensuring fairness and integrity in every decision he makes.”

Prior to joining the bench, Tejeda worked as a defense attorney out of his own law practice from 2005 to 2022. He previously served as a deputy public defender at the Sacramento Public Defender's Office from 2001 to 2004 and as an attorney at the Law Office of James Kuppenbender from 2000 to 2001.

Tejeda received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and his Juris Doctor from McGeorge School of Law. He was admitted to the state bar in 2000.

Tejeda took the judicial oath on May 8, filling the vacancy created by Judge Dena Coggins’s appointment to the federal court.

 

 

Newsom announced on May 7 that Mary Kennedy of Sacramento was appointed to the Committee on the Revision of the Penal Code. Kennedy was chief counsel for the California State Senate Committee on Public Safety from 2017 to 2024 and previously counsel from 1996 to 2017. Kennedy earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame.

This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Kennedy is a Democrat.