Executive Team
Larry Notheis
Senior Deputy Director
In 2022, Larry was appointed Senior Deputy Director by Governor Gavin Newsom. Larry started his career in the CCC as a Corpsmember at the Humboldt Fire Center where he promoted to crew leader and worked as a firefighter and in salmon restoration. He left the CCC after two years to run a crew in Australia. After leaving for a few years to travel, he returned to the CCC as a crew supervisor at the Fortuna Center where he worked his way up to District Director and then to Regional Deputy Director. He had the honor of being the operations chief for 140 Corpsmembers who went to Louisiana for hurricane relief.
In 2005, Larry went to Pakistan to work on emergency response after an earthquake stuck the nation and killed more than 100,000 people and displaced more than a million. He has worked with AmeriCorps since day one and with five different programs including; Watershed Stewards, Backcountry Trails, Youth Serve, Vet Fire Crews, and the Tooth Crew.
Larry is currently the Senior Deputy Director assisting CCC Director Bruce Saito in formulating policies regarding project planning, budgetary decisions, and program implementation to achieve the CCC’s mission of enhancing and developing young adults through hard work and education. He also consults with and directs staff counsel and six division chiefs.
He recently sat on four boards including: LatinoNet, the Salmonid Restoration Federation, NorCal Association of Non-Profits, and the Watershed Stewards Advisory Committee. Larry is a grandfather of two and lives in Sacramento with his wife, three dogs and one cat.
Larry Notheis
Senior Deputy Director
Melinda Allen
Deputy Director, Statewide Programs
Melinda started her career in the California Conservation Corps as a Corpsmember at the San Luis Obispo and Placer centers where she promoted to specialist (green hat), crew leader (red hat), and was then hired as a Special Corpsmember.
After several years in the field, Melinda officially started in state service as a receptionist in the CCC accounting unit. After a short time, she transferred to CAL FIRE where she spent 13 years in various positions before returning to the CCC as an emergency analyst in 2007. Melinda worked her way up to emergency manager and took on the additional role of overseeing the department’s environmental programs.
Melinda is currently the Deputy Director overseeing Statewide Programs, which includes Emergency and Environmental Programs, Backcountry Trails, Watershed Stewards and State Parks programs.
Melinda Allen
Deputy Director, Statewide Programs
Tabatha Chavez
Deputy Director, Administration
Tabatha started her career in the California Conservation Corps as a Corpsmember and then as a staff member in a variety of roles, including as a Conservationist 1 and Associate Budget Analyst. Notably, Tabatha earned the Delta Service District Conservationist 1 of the Year Award.
After a decade with the CCC, Tabatha worked as a Budget Analyst for the Department of Industrial Relations and as Budget Officer for the California Bay Delta Authority. She went on to spend 10 years with CalRecycle in a variety of roles, including as a Senior Management Auditor.
Most recently, Tabatha served in multiple roles within California’s cannabis licensing authorities including the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division’s Compliance and Enforcement Branch, and the Department of Cannabis Control, Compliance Division. In these roles she was responsible for regulatory compliance of licenses, supervision of investigation and coordination amongst several state agencies.
In her free time, Tabatha participates in civically minded volunteer activities and has served on several city commissions and two terms on a county grand jury. Tabatha has two grown children and resides in Woodland, CA.
Tabatha Chavez
Deputy Director, Administration
Dana Howard
Deputy Director, CORE (Communications, Outreach, Recruitment, and Enrollment)
Dana Howard is the Director of Communications, Outreach, Recruitment and Enrollment (CORE) for the California Conservation Corps. Seeing first-hand how the CCC’s mission transforms the lives of young adults motivates him to spread the word about the tremendous impact the Corps makes daily. Dana oversees the CCC’s communication, marketing and outreach and develops the heart touching stories of how the Corps is setting lives on a positive and fulfilling direction. He also leads CCC recruitment and enrollment in developing a smooth enrollment process and targeting under-represented segments of California’s young adults.
Prior to the CCC, Dana served the state of California as Deputy Director of Communications and Public Relations for Covered California. He helped lead and implement the communications strategy for Covered California’s historic first open enrollment. Dana was the principal spokesperson for the exchange as well as innovating new communication platforms to keep service channels, consumers, and stakeholders informed about critical developments in obtaining health coverage.
Before joining Covered California, Dana was the Chief of Business Outreach and Industry Relations for California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control. He also spent 18 years as an anchor and reporter at ABC10 in Sacramento, where he won multiple Emmy Awards for investigative journalism. Dana also worked for WWL-TV in New Orleans, KHSL in Chico, KPIX in San Francisco, KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, CNN, and ABC. During his more than three decades in broadcast news, Dana earned Emmy, Associated Press, RTNDA, Best of the West, and New Orleans Press Club awards. He is a graduate of the University of the Pacific and resides with his family in Elk Grove, CA.
Dana Howard
Deputy Director, CORE (Communications, Outreach, Recruitment, and Enrollment)
Brandon Joanis
Region 1 Deputy
Brandon is honored to serve as the Region 1 Deputy, supporting the Northern and Southern Energy Districts along with traditional residential and non-residential programs located in Central California.
Brandon’s CCC career started in 2009 as a Conservationist 1 at the Pomona Center mentoring Corpsmembers while working on various conservation projects, including multiple trail building/restoration projects from sites in the Anza Borrego Desert to the top of the San Jacinto Mountain. It was as a Conservationist 1 that Brandon developed his love of the CCC and his passion for supporting Corpsmembers in achieving their goals.
Between 2012 and 2017, Brandon served as a Conservationist 2 and Conservationist Supervisor working in both the Corpsmember development and project management units at the Inland Empire Center in San Bernardino. In 2017, he accepted the District Director position at the Magalia Fire Center in Butte County, where he helped develop and grow the partnership between CCC and CAL FIRE.
Brandon currently resides in Northern California and enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.
Brandon Joanis
Region 1 Deputy
Dan Millsap
Director, Capital Outlay Program
Daniel Millsap was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the executive team at the California Conservation Corps in December 2018. He serves as the deputy of the Capital Outlay Program and is responsible for all Major and Minor Capital Outlay projects, including residential and non-residential building renovations, deferred maintenance and future residential expansion projects.
Prior to joining the CCC, Dan worked as a project director at the California Department of General Services since 2018 overseeing several state agency capital outlay programs. He served in several positions as a construction supervisor at the California Department of Parks and Recreation from 2007 to 2018 where he oversaw high-profile, complex, and sensitive projects for State Parks.
Dan is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of the Pacific and is a licensed professional engineer; he resides with his family in Folsom.
Dan Millsap
Director, Capital Outlay Program
Kristina Ordanza
Environmental Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Coordinator
Kristina joined the California Conservation Corps’ (CCC) Executive Team in January 2023 as the CCC’s first Environmental Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Coordinator. Prior to this role, she was a Career Pathways & Transition Navigator at the CCC Delta Center in Stockton and supported more than 500 Corpsmembers in their career and education goals. Kristina was part of the CCC’s 2020-2021 Capital Collaborative for Race and Equity (CCORE) Learning Program and helped develop the agency’s first Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP).
Kristina’s priority as the inaugural JEDI Coordinator is to support CCC staff, Corpsmembers, and leadership by implementing initiatives that support diverse, equitable, and inclusive work and program environments. She is eager to bring her years of experience in partnership development, community building, and project management to shape and influence internal policies, procedures, and overall organizational culture. Prior to the CCC, Kristina worked in higher education for 12 years.
Kristina is proudly second-generation Filipino American, an older sister, and daughter of immigrant parents. She is a millennial, working parent, and educator at heart. She completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Science from the College of Education at California State University, Fullerton. She is currently a doctoral student with the College of Education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, with a dual emphasis on Diversity and Equity and Human Resource Development. She resides in Calaveras County with her ever supportive husband and son.
Kristina Ordanza
Environmental Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Coordinator
Jeffrey Schwarzschild
Lead Counsel
Jeffrey was born and raised right outside of Philadelphia. He received a B.A. from Vassar College and, in 1997, his J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. Following law school, he spent several years with Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Gibson & Harris where he primarily handled employment and civil rights litigation matters.
Jeff took a break from the direct practice of the law for almost two years (1999-2000) to perform international business development activities for one of his firm’s clients. He moved to Sacramento in 2003, and worked for several years at the Law Offices of Mark E. Merin, a boutique civil rights firm handling police misconduct, employment discrimination, and a variety of civil justice cases throughout the country.
In 2006, he joined the California Attorney General’s Employment and Administrative Mandate section where he was introduced to, and had the pleasure of representing, the CCC. In September, 2011, he joined the CCC as Lead Counsel.
Jeffrey Schwarzschild
Lead Counsel
Sloane Viola
Deputy Director, Legislative and External Affairs
Sloane Viola joined the California Conservation Corps in February 2024 as a Deputy Director of Legislative and External Affairs. In this role, she collaborates with the legislature and interagency partners to elevate CCC’s mission, vision, and values in policy development and implementation.
Prior to this role, Sloane worked at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research for five years, first as Legislative Director and then as the Council Manager for the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program. She started her policy career as a California Sea Grant Fellow then became a Staff Scientist for Lieutenant Governor Newsom. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Aquatic Biology and Master’s degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Outside of work, Sloane enjoys California’s outdoors by hiking, backpacking, camping, trail and road running, surfing, bouldering, and SCUBA diving. When she’s not outside, she reads, knits, and practices yoga. Sloane also volunteers as a coach for a local non-profit called Girls on the Run.
Sloane Viola
Deputy Director, Legislative and External Affairs
Melanie Wallace
Deputy Director, Career Pathways
Melanie Wallace joined the California Conservation Corps (CCC) Executive Team in November 2023. She serves as the deputy director overseeing the Career Pathways Program and is responsible for expanding opportunities for Corpsmembers to launch civil service careers.
Prior to this role, Melanie served as the equal employment opportunity officer at the California Public Utilities Commission where she managed workplace investigations and advised executive leadership on matters concerning equal employment opportunity, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. Prior to that, Melanie served in several capacities at the CCC, including in the region and executive offices, as well as in equal employment opportunity.
Melanie lives with her partner in Sacramento, is passionate about conservation, loves animals and enjoys playing soccer.
Melanie Wallace
Deputy Director, Career Pathways
Sara Weaver
Region 3 Deputy
Sara is honored to serve as the Region 3 Deputy overseeing eight Southern California residential and non-residential centers. Her passion for the CCC began when she joined as a Corpsmember in 1997. Her love of the program is rooted in her experiences as a crew leader participating in salmon restoration and trail rehabilitation projects in the redwood forests of Northern California.
After her time as a Corpsmember, Sara spent six years away traveling and gaining other life experiences. In 2004, she returned to the CCC as a crew supervisor at the San Diego Center (her dream job)! She spent six years as a crew supervisor working with and mentoring Corpsmembers. Between 2010 and 2020 she worked her way up to eventually serve as the District Director of the San Diego and Los Piños Centers.
Sara resides in Southern California, and spends her free time enjoying the outdoors hiking, gardening, and stand up paddle boarding.
Sara Weaver
Region 3 Deputy
Duane Wilson
Region 2 Deputy
Duane Wilson is honored to serve as a Regional Deputy, supporting both residential and non-residential centers within the Southern California District.
Duane embarked on his journey with the California Conservation Corps (CCC) in April 1991, joining as a Corpsmember at the South Lake Tahoe Center. His dedication to conservation and resource work then blossomed through various roles at the Pomona Center, where he ascended from specialist (green hat) to crew leader (red hat), and eventually senior crew leader (orange hat). Duane’s passion extends to emergency response, resource projects, and community engagement initiatives.
Officially entering state service in 1993, Duane has continued to wear several hats in the CCC, working as a Conservationist 1, Staff Services Analyst (Recruiter), Conservationist Supervisor, and District Director for the Pomona and Los Angeles Centers. His diverse experiences showcase a commitment to environmental stewardship and leadership within the CCC.
Duane completed the Fire Science Program at Sierra College and Electronic Assembly Program at the Institute for Developmental Technologies. Residing in Southern California, Duane finds joy in the outdoors during his free time. Whether volunteering in the community, building classic cars, playing pickleball, cycling, practicing precision marksmanship, or playing with his dog, he embraces a multifaceted and fulfilling life.
Duane Wilson
Region 2 Deputy