Commissioner Biographies
Katie Hawkins of Truckee was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Boating and Waterways Commission in July 2020. Katie Hawkins is a nationally recognized female leader in the outdoor industry and is the California Program Director for Outdoor Alliance. Hawkins earned her MBA from CSU - Sacramento and currently serves on California Natural Resources Agency 30x30 Partnership Coordinating Committee (PCC). Her passions and love for the Range of Light led her and her family to the heart of the Sierra-Lake Tahoe. From there, she advocates on behalf of the entire state of California and the world of outdoor recreation, which has been a constant presence in her life on both a personal and professional level.
Tom Pier of San Francisco was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Boating and Waterways Commission in March 2020. Tom Pier has been of counsel at Alioto Law Firm since 2005. He was a self-employed political consultant from 1991 to 1999, a lifeguard for the City of Newport Beach from 1988 to 1992 and a fisherman and ship engineer for various fishing vessels in Alaska from 1985 to 1988. Pier earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco Law School and a Master of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Texas, Austin.
Maggie Hallahan, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Boating and Waterways Commission. Hallahan has been licensed by the United States Coast Guard as a Captain since 2017 and has been Chief Executive Officer of MHPV, a San Francisco LBE Company, since 1990. She has been a Photographer and Director since 1990 and a Motivational Speaker for the UN Commission on the Status of Women since 1991. She was a Photographer for the United Nations Population Fund from 1981 to 2012. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Hallahan is a Democrat.
Jose Gonzalez was appointed by Govenor Gavin Newsom to the California Boating and Waterways Commission in May 2022. Jose González has been a Partner at the Avarna Group since 2017. He was a Fellow at the Pisces Foundation from 2019 to 2020, Founder and Executive Director of Latino Outdoors via Community Initiatives from 2013 to 2017, Latino Outreach and Education Manager for the Tuolumne River Trust from 2013 to 2014, and a Butler Koshland Fellow at Radio Bilingue from 2012 to 2013. González was Faculty at National Hispanic University from 2011 to 2013, Faculty at Eastside College Preparatory School from 2009 to 2010, and Faculty and Coordinator at Douglass Middle School, Woodland Unified School District from 2005 to 2007. González is a board member of Parks California and Resource Media, a trustee of the National Recreation Foundation and the National Outdoor Leadership School and a councilor for Save the Redwoods League. González earned a Master of Science degree in behavior, education and communication from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment."