story by Laurie McLaughlin
image by Jeanne Hill
There are 10,000 online applicants pursuing appointment by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to one of the many positions he fills for the leadership of the state of California, from political appointments to commission boards. "The trick I tell people is to find a way to elevate your application - befriend a legislator or stakeholder to 'lobby' for you to bring your profile to our attention," says John G. Cruz, himself the newly appointed appointments secretary in Sacramento.
Since he assumed the office in September, Cruz '75 (B.A. business administration) has worked on the placement of hundreds of people. As many as 6,000 are appointed within a typical administration. Cruz oversees the entire appointment process and makes recommendations directly to the governor. The vacancies Cruz and his staff work to fill include both high-profile positions (for which Cruz must consider the political landscape vis-à-vis the applicant's qualifications) as well as the day-to-day, hands-on undersecretaries, executives and directors.
Cruz, who lives in San Clemente, earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Michigan Law School and founded the law firm of Daehnke & Cruz in 1992 specializing in real estate, business and transactional law. He also served as a commissioner on the California Gambling Control Commission before his appointment. His background provides him valuable insight for filling similar positions on boards as varied as the trustees for the CSU system, the lottery and Department of Motor Vehicles.
"The governor has made it very clear that this is to be a diverse administration. That means not only ethnicity but also gender, political affiliation, geographic location and others," says Cruz. "And, I'm sensitive to the fact that our appointments do reflect the diversity of the state."
John Cruz
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