Newsom appoints new director to Employment Development Department
Published
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday appointed Rita L. Saenz to oversee the state’s unemployment benefits department, which has been overwhelmed by claims during the coronavirus pandemic and also has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in phony claims, including to prison inmates.
Saenz, 71, will be director of the Employment Development Department if she receives state Senate confirmation. The post pays $204,000. With more than 40 years of experience in state government and the private sector, Rita Saenz is well-prepared to lead EDD at what is sure to be one of the most difficult moments in the department’s history, Newsom said in a statement.