Governor Newsom has appointed Val Dolcini director at the Department of Pesticide Regulation, where he has served as acting director since June 2019 following the departure of former director Brian Leahy. Dolcini also served concurrently as the deputy secretary for agriculture at Cal EPA.
Dolcini’s appointment to DPR director was broadly supported by the agricultural industry, including CCM. During his short tenure, we have found him to be engaging and responsive to our concerns. In July, CCM hosted Dolcini and CDFA Undersecretary Jenny Lester-Moffitt for a tour in Riverside to see firsthand how our industry relies on neonicotinoids as part of our IPM programs to control ACP.
Dolcini was president and chief executive officer at Pollinator Partnership from 2017 to 2019. He was administrator for the Farm Service Agency at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2014 to 2017, and state executive director for California for the Farm Service Agency from 2009 to 2014. Dolcini was a senior manager at Accenture LLC from 2004 to 2009, director of policy in the Office of Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante from 2003 to 2004 and deputy legislative secretary in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 2001 to 2002. He held several positions in the Office of Congressman Vic Fazio from 1995 to 1999, including legislative assistant and district chief of staff, and was legislative assistant in the Office of Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi from 1994 to 1995. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Golden Gate University School of Law.
The Governor also announced the appointment of Jesse Cuevas as chief deputy director at DPR. Cuevas served as assistant director in the Pesticide Programs Division since 2017. Previously, he was director of legislation and policy at DPR from 2015 to 2017 and legislative director in the Office of California State Assemblymember Henry T. Perea from 2010 to 2015.
CCM congratulations Mr. Dolcini and Mr. Cuevas on their respective appointments. We look forward to continued engagement with the Department in the future.
