Cathryn I. Rivera

Cathryn Rivera was appointed by Governor Newsom in June 2019 to serve as Appointments Secretary.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Rivera served three administrations as a Board Member on the Agricultural Labor Relations Board beginning with her appointment by Governor Davis in November 2002.  Prior to joining the ALRB, Ms. Rivera served as the Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Governor Gray Davis.  As Chief Deputy, Ms. Rivera served as the Governor’s liaison to various state agencies, departments and boards including the Health and Human Services Agency, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Office of Emergency Services and Department of Food and Agriculture.  As a member of the Cabinet office, Ms. Rivera was responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of administration policy and legislative initiatives within the agencies.  Ms. Rivera also served as special legal counsel, working closely with the Legal Affairs Secretary on significant legal matters arising within the agencies and departments.

Ms. Rivera received a B.S. in Business Management from Arizona State University and obtained her law degree from Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley where she was co-editor-in-chief of the La Raza Law Journal.