SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown announced on Jan. 19 the reappointment of Joy Higa, 50, of Manhattan Beach to the California State Teachers’ Retirement Board, where she has served since 2014.
Since 2010, Higa has been vice president of regulatory affairs at the UnitedHealth Group, where she has held several positions since 2006, including vice president of government affairs and vice president of regulatory and external affairs. From 2005 to 2006, she was deputy chief of staff for policy at the California State Controller’s Office, where she was policy director from 2004 to 2005.
Higa served as chief deputy secretary for cabinet affairs in the Office of Gov. Gray Davis in 2003, deputy director for plan and provider relations at the California Department of Managed Health Care from 2000 to 2003. and director of health sciences governmental relations UCLA from 1998 to 2000. She was manager of government relations at PacifiCare Health Systems from 1996 to 1998.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Higa is a Democrat.