Secretary of GovOps

Undersecretary – Vacant

Justyn Howard

Deputy Secretary, Fiscal Policy and Administration

Prior to joining the Government Operations Agency, Mr. Howard served in a number of capacities at the California Department of Finance, including as Program Budget Manager from 2015 to 2017, Assistant Program Budget Manager from 2013 to 2015, and Principal Program Budget Analyst from 2010 to 2013. In these roles, Mr. Howard oversaw state-wide budget development, implementation and fiscal policy for several state departments, local government programs and Redevelopment Agency Dissolution. Prior to his state career, Mr. Howard worked in Logistics for Target Corporation. Mr. Howard has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, from California State University, Sacramento.

Email: Justyn.Howard@govops.ca.gov

Pam Chueh

State Chief Equity Officer

Pam Chueh was appointed as California’s first State Chief Equity Officer by Governor Gavin Newsom in August 2022.  Driven by her personal experience as the parent of a child with multiple disabilities, Chueh previously led Sacramento non-profit organization, WarmLine Family Resource Center, as its Executive Director to serve families of children with disabilities. Chueh served the State Assembly and Sacramento State University as Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program for a decade mentoring and developing over 200 young leaders for public service.  Chueh began her career as a welfare-to-work case manager and job developer for Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Social Services. This experience, coupled with her background as an immigrant, led her to various roles with the State Assembly, including serving as the first staff Consultant to the California Asian Pacific Legislative Caucus, Special Assistant to two Assembly Speakers, Legislative Assistant, and Field Representative. Pam’s other professional experiences include serving as a Legislative Advocate for Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Social Services and Community and Government Relations Manager for Kaiser Permanente in San Jose.  She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, San Diego.

Email: Pam.Chueh@govops.ca.gov

Chris Given

Deputy Secretary, Technology and Innovation

Chris Given is a technologist with more than a decade of experience empowering talented, multi-disciplinary teams to craft more accessible and effective government services. He previously led the team that designed and built IRS Direct File, making it possible to file taxes online directly with the IRS for the first time. A seasoned civil servant, he’s worked across ten federal agencies—including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Administration for Children and Families—as well as the states of Connecticut, Illinois, and the District of Columbia. Chris has taught at the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and is a graduate of Bard College.

Email: Chris.Given@govops.ca.gov

Gabriel Ravel

Chief Counsel

Gabriel Ravel was appointed Deputy Secretary and General Counsel of the Government Operations Agency in June 2020. In his role, he advises the Secretary and GovOps staff on legal matters and helps to coordinate the legal work of GovOps departments. Gabriel has spent almost his entire career as an attorney in state service, including appointments as General Counsel at the California Health & Human Services Agency, General Counsel at the California Department of Managed Health Care, where he focused on health plan regulation and helped guide and defend the Department’s policy on reproductive rights, and as Assistant General Counsel at Covered California, helping to stand up the state’s health exchange. He began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Edward F. Shea of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Before attending law school, Gabriel spent a year volunteering at a health clinic in a rural area of Washington State that primarily served migrant farmworkers.

Email: gabriel.ravel@govops.ca.gov

Sarah Soto-Taylor

Deputy Secretary of Strategic Development

Sarah Soto-Taylor is focused on modernizing how the state does business—from bringing Generative AI into government operations to rethinking the delivery of services for the future. With nearly three decades in public service, Sarah has worn many hats, always focused on bridging vision with execution to make government more effective, inclusive, and innovative. She helped lead California’s groundbreaking Census 2020 outreach effort and has held key leadership roles at the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board, Department of Health Care Services and Covered California, where her expansive portfolio included health policy, systems integration, and community engagement. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education and a Master of Public Health from San Diego State University and is a proud alum of the HOPE Leadership Institute. She’s passionate about transforming programs to serve Californians—and making big ideas happen.