Karen McGagin, Executive Officer
On April 23, 2004, the Board appointed Ms. McGagin as Executive Officer of the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board.
Ms. McGagin previously chaired the three-member VCGCB on behalf of the director of the Department of General Services (DGS) from September 1997 to December 2000. She has served as the deputy executive director of the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) since December 2001. The OPSC funds construction in qualifying school districts. Prior to her tenure at the OPSC, Ms. McGagin served as deputy director of the Interagency Support Division at DGS from 1997 to 2001. In addition, she represented the director of DGS on the State Allocation Board and the Public Works Board.
Ms. McGagin also served as chief deputy registrar of the Contractors State License Board in the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). She was deputy director of DCA and liaison and principal contact for the regulatory boards.
Ms. McGagin received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the California State University, Sacramento in government.
Thomas O'Connor, Chief Deputy Executive Officer
Tom O'Connor joined the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board as its Chief Deputy Executive Officer on June 1, 2005. He began his career in regulatory government in 1980 first with the California Medical Board followed by 18 years as the Executive Officer of the California Board of Psychology. His career has been marked with assisting in the creation of programs which protect consumers while balancing the due process rights of licensees of the board.
Mr. O’Connor was a principle author of the Board of Psychology pamphlet Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex and he authored the consumer brochure, For Your Peace of Mind; A Consumer Guide to Psychological Services” for the board’s consumer education program. He has been a leader in overseeing the application of technology in communication and licensing examination process development.
Mr. O’Connor has been appointed to work groups for both the American Psychological Association and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). This work has produced publications by these associations addressing guidelines for continuing professional education for psychologists, guidelines for prescriptive authority for psychologists and guidelines for psychology licensing examinations.
Mr. O’Connor earned both his BA and MA in psychology from California State University Sacramento.
Garry Ness, Chief Counsel
Garry Ness joined the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board as Chief Counsel on May 7, 2007.
Prior to joining the Board, Mr. Ness worked in the Office of Legal Services at the Department of General Services for 29 years as a staff attorney and as Assistant Chief Counsel. During that time Mr. Ness advised the Board of Control, which was the predecessor organization of the current Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, advised the State Allocation Board and the Office of Public School Construction regarding the State school funding program, and dealt with a wide variety of business and contractual matters.
Mr. Ness received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Humboldt State University and a Juris Doctorate degree from McGeorge School of Law.
Terri Hamilton, Deputy Executive Officer, Administration
Terri Hamilton was appointed Deputy Executive Officer of the Administration Division on December 24, 2007. Ms. Hamilton previously served as the Deputy Executive Officer of the Fiscal Services Division. Her responsibilities at the board included management oversight of the Business Services, Customer Services, Human Resources and the Labor Relations sections. This experience includes serving as Personnel Officer of Human Resources and Labor Relations.
Prior to joining the Board, Ms. Hamilton served at the Department of General Services (DGS) where she provided a broad range of experience in management, legislation, planning and performance measures. As the Budget Officer for Capitol Outlay programs at DGS, she handled budget change proposals, cost analysis, forecasting reports, income and expense reports and reconciliation.
Chip Skinner, Deputy Executive Officer, Victim Compensation
Chip Skinner was appointed Deputy Executive Officer of the Victim Compensation Program on January 8, 2008. Mr. Skinner previously served as the Assistant Deputy Executive Officer of the Victim Compensation Program. He has also held positions at the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (VCGCB) in the Office of Audits and Investigations and the Restitution Recovery and Business Services Sections.
Prior to joining the VCGCB, Mr. Skinner worked as an auditor for the Office of the Auditor General (now the Bureau of State Audits.)
Mr. Skinner earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in Business Administration-Accounting and Business Administration-Finance from California State University, Sacramento.
Gary Longholm, Deputy Executive Officer, Legislation and Public Affairs
Gary Longholm joined the Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board (VCGCB) as the Deputy Executive Officer of the Legislation and Public Affairs Division on September 10, 2007.
Prior to joining the Board, Mr. Longholm worked as a legislative representative at the Department of General Services (DGS). He represented DGS in all phases of legislation related to financing construction of school facilities and to victims of crime. Before his career at DGS, Mr. Longholm served as the Director of Governmental Affairs for the Department of Education and as a legislative staff member to the California State Board of Education.
His career also includes extensive experience from 1974-1984 at the VCGCB, then the Board of Control, where he served as the Assistant Executive Officer and the Executive Officer.
Mr. Longholm served in the Army as a First Lieutenant, Artillery. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from California State University, Humboldt.
Patricia Valencia-Carlson, Deputy Executive Officer, Fiscal Services
Patricia Valencia-Carlson was appointed Deputy Executive Officer of the Fiscal Services Division on January 15, 2008. Previously, Ms. Valencia-Carlson served as Chief over the Office of Audits and Investigations. Her responsibilities included providing audit advice to the Executive Director and senior and program management on all audit issues that affect the Board's Victim Compensation Program, Government Claims Program, Revenue Recovery Division, and administrative programs. In addition, she acted as liaison to external auditors reviewing Board activities.
Prior to becoming Chief, Ms. Valencia-Carlson served the VCGCB as the lead business analyst for various aspects of the development and implementation of the CaRES automation project. She spent several years as a research program specialist for the Legislation and Public Affairs Division, the Financial and Business Operation Section, and the Audit and Investigations Branch. Ms. Valencia-Carlson began her career in state service as a claims specialist for the Victim Compensation program in 1988.
Ms. Valencia-Carlson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Toledo.
