Announcements regarding key staffing changes of importance to California's rural counties.
Andrew Mueller, of Lake City, has been appointed to the 34th District Agricultural Association, Modoc District Fair Board. Mueller has been a Forester for the Bureau of Land Management since 2017. He was a Range Tech for the Bureau of Land Management from 2008 to 2017 and served as a Seasonal Forester from 2013 to 2017. He is a member of the Surprise Valley Service Club and the Surprise Valley Ag Advisory Committee. Mueller earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from California State University, Humboldt. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Mueller is a Republican.
Robert St. Andre, of Susanville, has been appointed Warden of High Desert State Prison, where he has served as Acting Warden since 2022. St. Andre held several positions at the California Correctional Center from 2018 to 2022, including Chief Deputy Administrator and Correctional Administrator. He held several positions at High Desert State Prison from 1996 to 2018, including Correctional Administrator, Chief Deputy Administrator, Correctional Facility Captain, Correctional Lieutenant, Correctional Sergeant and Correctional Officer. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $175,332. St. Andre is a Republican.
Richard Thorp, of Chico, has been reappointed to the Medical Board of California, where he has served since 2019. Thorp has been Physician Supervisor for Paradise Medical Group and Florence Health since 2022. Thorp was President and Chief Executive Officer of Paradise Medical Group from 2001 to 2022. He was Medical Director of the Feather River Health Center from 2003 to 2019. He was an Internal Medicine Physician and Medical Director for Butte County for the California Medical Foundation from 1994 to 2000. He was an Internal Medicine Physician at Richard E. Thorp MD Inc. from 1981 to 1994. Thorp is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, California Medical Association and the Butte-Glenn County Medical Association. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Washington. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Thorp is registered without party preference.