CANNABIS CONTROL APPEALS PANEL MEMBERS
Diandra Bremond, EdD
Dr. Diandra “Dee” Bremond was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown and reappointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel, where she was elected as the Panel Chair. Additionally, Bremond is an adjunct lecturer in the MSW and DSW programs in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Bremond served as the founding Board President for Crete Academy, a public charter school in South Los Angeles. Moreover, Bremond served as the Director of Trauma-Informed Youth Development for the Brotherhood Crusade for nearly seven years. Bremond serves on many non-profit director and advisory boards, including the following: Why Can't We Make A Difference and Equality California Advisory Board.
Bremond is a graduate from Pepperdine University where she earned a Master's of Public Policy and a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership. Her dissertation and substantive interests are rooted in public policy, innovation and social work. Bremond is married to her wife, Otesha Mosley-Bremond, and resides in Los Angeles with their two dogs, Princess and Polo.
Jim Wood
Jim Wood was appointed by California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on December 21, 2024.
Jim served from 2014-2024 as a member of the California State Assembly representing Sonoma, Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties where he focused on health care, natural resources, insurance, clean energy and broadband. He was the Speaker pro Tempore. Prior to that he was the Chair of the Assembly Health Committee for eight years. He served in local government as a planning commissioner and city councilmember before his election to the legislature. As a practicing dentist, he owned and operated a family dental practice in Cloverdale, California from 1987-2013. Jim is a graduate of the University of California at Riverside with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree.
Cathryn Rivera
Cathryn Rivera was appointed by Governor Newsom to the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel on August 31, 2024.
Before joining the Panel, Ms. Rivera served as Governor Newsom's Appointments Secretary from 2019 to 2024, and before that, she served as a Member of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board for seventeen years. Ms. Rivera also served as Chief Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Governor Gary Davis from 1999 to 2002. She holds a Juris Doctorate degree from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. There, she was co-editor-in-chief of the La Raza Law Journal. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University.