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Office of legislative and Governmental Affairs

The Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs is dedicated to being a resource for the development and enactment of legislation to protect and promote public health on behalf of all Californians.ā€‹

ā€‹Meet Our Team 

ā€‹photo of maral farsiMaral Farsi, MPH, MS 

Maral Farsi is the Deputy Director of Legislative and Governmental Affairs at the California Department of Public Health. In this role, Maral serves as Governor Gavin Newsom's appointee on collaboration with elected officials and matters related to legislation impacting the Department. These issues span from chronic disease management, health facility licensing and certification, food and drug safety, opioid overdose prevention, and infectious disease control. Prior to this role, Maral was a Deputy Director at the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, serving as the Deputy Director of Legislative and Inter-governmental Affairs and as the Acting Small Business Advisor for the State.

ā€‹Maral is an experienced public policy and government affairs professional having worked on behalf of nonprofits, trade associations, Fortune 10 corporations, and now, the State of California. She earned a Master of Science in law from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, a Master of Public Health from UCLA in Health Policy, and a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Northridge. Maral moved to Sacramento over a decade ago to pursue her passion for public policy. She is a member of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health's Alumni Board of Directors. Maral is also an active volunteer and proud mentor for high school, college, and graduate students pursuing futures in changemaking.


photo of margaret graham wenerMargaret Graham Wener

Margaret Wener is the Assistant Deputy Director of Policy at the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs where she oversees the Legislative Coordinators and Legislative Analystā€”providing mā€‹ā€‹entorship and guidance on policy issues that promote public health. She has previously served as the Acting Deputy Director at LGA and continues advising senior leadership on political strategies and engaging with the California Health and Human Services Agency and the Governor's Office. 

Margaret is experienced in State legislative policy having spent numerous years working within the State Capitol, a lobbying firm, and State agencies. She is a devoted public servant who has worked on landmark legislation throughout her career including the California Organics Foods Act of 1990; the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006; the Green Chemistry Initiative of 2008; and Medical Marijuana Legislation.  

ā€‹Margaret holds an AA from Heald Business College and a BS in Public Administration from the University of Phoenix. She enjoys traveling, spending time with her daughter and her dog, paper craftingā€”custom greeting cards, kayaking, hiking, and camping.


ā€‹photo of dennis hallDen Hall

Dennis Hall is a Legislative Coordinator at the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs. He has managed policies impacting each of the Department's Centers and Offices.

He worked as a Legislative staff member for 10 years, serving with three Assembly Speakers, and as an advocate in the Third House. He began State service as an analyst for the Department of Health Care Services working on provider enrollment issues for the Medi-Cal Program and implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Den served in the U.S. Army prior to receiving a BA in Government from the California State University, Sacramento, with a concentration in Political Theory. He is an avid cyclist (road), enjoys hiking, camping, spending time with his children, and with his wife of 35 years, Jeannine, and daily games of tug-of-war with his Terrier-Pomeranian mix, Blossom.


Kim Van Le

Kim Van Le is a Legislative Coordinator at the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs. She provides legislative consultation and policy advisement to protect and promote public health. 

In the past, she has held diverse positions in the public sector from managing multimillion-dollar funds for water initiatives, providing support to faculty committees in shaping educational policies, reviewing affordable housing finances in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, as well as conducting analytical work on affirmative action and equal employment opportunities.

ā€‹She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Texas A&M, with a focus on public policy. Kim enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and hiking. 


photo of arman hirose-afshariArman Hirose-Afshari

Arman Hirose-Afshari is a Legislative Coordinator in the Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), where he monitors and coordinates the analysis of state legislation having an impact on CDPH programs. He also serves as a liaison between CDPH programs and external stakeholders, including the legislature and other agencies. Prior to joining CDPH, Arman served as a Government Relations Analyst at the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, where he worked to enact AB 927 (2021) which expanded the authority of the California Community Colleges to offer baccalaureate degree programs. He also served as an Initiative and Referendum Coordinator at the Secretary of State, where he qualified ballot measures for statewide general elections. During his fellowship at the United States Conference of Mayors, Arman conducted policy research on sanctuary cities, as well as strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Arman holds a B.A. in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine and an M.A. in Public Administration from New York University (NYU). Arman is an avid reader of political non-fiction, a cinephile, and a foodie for all things desserts.


photo of ian campbellIan Campbell

Ian Campbell is a Legislative Coordinator at the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs. He specializes in fiscal analyses and facilitating high-level discussions between stakeholders.

Ian started his State service at the Department of Social Services (DSS), first with the Child Welfare Policy and Program Development Bureau and then with the Budget Bureau. During his service, Ian oversaw the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act, focusing primarily on potential costs of prevention and the inclusion of provisions that support tribal communities. Additionally, Ian reviewed and presented multiple Budget Concept Proposals (BCPs) on behalf of DSS and created a department-wide training on the Budget and drafting BCPs.

Ian received a BA in Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Ian loves cooking for family and friends, seeks adventure across the globe, and is an avid basketball fan supporting his hometown Sacramento Kings.


 ā€‹photo of rogelio rubio-montanoā€‹Rogelio Rubio-MontaƱo

Rogelio Rubio-Montano is a Legislative Coordinator at the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs. He analyzes proposed legislation and its effect on California communities. 

He previously worked at the Department of Justice, Office of Legislative Affairs, under previous Attorneys General Kamala Harris, Xavier Becerra, and current Attorney General Rob Bonta. His start to State service was with the Department of Motor Vehicles, Driver's License Policy Unit, where he helped implement legislation that authorized undocumented residents of California to apply for a driver's license and led him to be a recipient of the Director's Special Recognition Award.

Rogelio received a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Davis, and an MA in Government from the California State University, Sacramento, with a focus on California and its Political Environment. Rogelio is the proud son of Mexican immigrants, enjoys traveling the globe, and is a proud supporter of his hometown Los Angeles sports teams.


 photo of keri fulton Keri Fultonā€‹

Keri Fulton is the Governmental Affairs Analyst at the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs. With over thirteen years at CDPH, she is currently responsible for handling all aspects of administrative duties and constituent inquiries for LGA. Her excellent customer service and communication skills are used daily as she takes great pride and satisfaction in helping people, especially when navigating the wide spectrum of programs offered at CDPH. Prior to CDPH, Keri worked in the Classified Advertising Department at the Sacramento Bee, where she also excelled in customer service as a Funeral Desk Account Manager and Paginator for over ten years. She is most proud of her two beautiful talented children, who continue to amaze her and bring her joy daily. As a nature lover, she feels blessed to live in Northern California where she enjoys gardening, rockhounding, hiking, camping, and stargazing.


staff pictureKarena Babchanik 
Karena Babchanikā€‹ is the Legislative Analyst at the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs. She previously performed legislative work in the private sector and was inspired by the pandemic to come work for CDPH. She is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento receiving a BA in Government. Karena is the daughter of Ukrainian refugees, born and raised in Sacramento, and loves to travel. 


ā€‹Wendy Westermanā€‹

Wendy Westermanā€‹ is a retired annuitant with the California Department of Public Health's Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs.  She is responsible for supporting and documenting the complex policies, processes, and procedures required to facilitate, coordinate, and advocate for the development and enactment of legislation in the interest of public health.  Wendy spent most of her career at the State Water Resources Control Board managing multiple grant programs and securing funding for projects to preserve, enhance and restore the quality of California's water resources to protect the environment, public health, and ensure every Californian has access to safe drinking water. ā€‹Wendy is partially retired and loves spending her off-time traveling with family and hanging out with her grandsons. 

Mandated Reports

LGA is responsible for coordinating the review and delivery of legislative reports that have been mandated by statute, the Budget Act, or the Supplemental Report of the Budget Act. ā€‹

If you would like to request a copy of a legislatively mandated report, please email ā€‹ā€‹cdphlegreports@cdph.ca.gov or call 916-440-7502.

Contact Us 

CDPH - Office of Legislative and Governmental Affairs
Mailing Address:  PO Box 997377, MS 0503, Sacramento, CA 95899-7377
Physical Address:  1615 Capitol Avenue, MS 0503, Sacramento, CA 95899-7ā€‹ā€‹377 
Main Office:  916-440-7502

Email: ConstituentInquiries@cdph.ca.gov or CDPHLegReports@cdph.ca.gov

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