Board Members and Executive Staff

Kristina D. Lawson, J.D., President

Classification: Public | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 10/28/15 | Term Expiration: 06/01/26

Kristina Daniel Lawson, of Walnut Creek, has served as a public member of the Medical Board of California since 2015. Lawson is a partner at Hanson Bridgett LLP in Walnut Creek and San Francisco, where she practices land use and environmental law. Lawson was a member of the Walnut Creek City Council from 2010 to 2014, and served as Walnut Creek's Mayor in 2014. Lawson earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Arizona.

Randy W. Hawkins, M.D., Vice President

Classification: Physician | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 03-04-15 | Term Expiration: 06/01/24

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed Dr. Randy W. Hawkins, of Los Angeles, California, to the Medical Board in 2015. He has been in private practice since 1985. His medical practice is composed of primary care, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and hospice care. He is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary and critical care medicine. He is clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. Dr. Hawkins represents the Medical Board on the Health Professions Education Foundation. He is a member of a Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Hahnemann Medical College in 1979 and completed his pulmonary and critical care fellowship at the University of California at San Diego in 1985.

Laurie Rose Lubiano, J.D., Secretary

Classification: Public | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 12/17/18 | Term Expiration: 06/01/24

Laurie Rose Lubiano was appointed to the Medical Board in 2018 by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Ms. Lubiano is an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of California and before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. She has been IP & Product Counsel for the Climate Corporation since 2017, where she handles a variety of matters including intellectual property, commercial agreements, international expansion and privacy compliance. Ms. Lubiano earned a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular & Cell Biology from U.C. Berkeley and a law degree from The University of The Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Ms. Lubiano is a board member for the Mission Hiring Hall in San Francisco and a member of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area. She is also the current President of the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC) and founding member of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association. Ms. Lubiano also served on the Planning Commission for the City of Daly City for over 4 years.

Michelle Anne Bholat, MD, MPH

Classification: Physician | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 06/08/22 | Term Expiration: 06/01/25

Ryan Brooks

Classification: Public | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 02/02/21 | Term Expiration: 06/01/24

Ryan Brooks was appointed to the Medical Board of California by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021. Mr. Brooks is the Executive Vice President of Government Affairs for Outfront Media, responsible for creating and maintaining governmental and public affairs activities, compliance, community outreach, policy direction and fundraising activities for the United States.

Mr. Brooks’ many appointments include Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Services and Financial Industries under the Obama Administration and reappointed under the Trump Administration. In 2003, Mr. Brooks was appointed by San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Jr. to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and reappointed by Mayor Gavin Newsom in 2004, serving as the Vice President in 2006 and President in 2007. Mr. Brooks served as the Director of Administrative Services for the City and County of San Francisco under the appointment of Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. Mr. Brooks was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2008 to the California Board of Pharmacy, and reappointed in 2010 and 2016 by Governor Jerry Brown. Mr. Brooks is a former member of the New Motor Vehicle Board as well as the Little Hoover Commission.

Mr. Brooks received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from San Diego State University.

James M. Healzer, M.D.

Classification: Physician | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 06/25/21 | Term Expiration: 06/01/25

Dr. James Healzer was appointed to the Medical Board in 2021 by Governor Gavin Newsom. Dr. Healzer is Chair of the Chiefs of Quality for The Permanente Medical Group and Staff Anesthesiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center. He is also Chair of the Permanente Federation’s Peer Review Advisory Committee. He completed residency training in Anesthesiology at Stanford University and Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco; and he is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Healzer earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine and a Master of Science degree in biological sciences from Stanford University.

Nicole A. Jeong

Classification: Public | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 04/14/22 | Term Expiration: 06/01/26

Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Nicole A. Jeong, of South Pasadena, to the Medical Board of California in April 2022. Jeong has been the Southern California Regional Director of Advocacy at Root & Rebound since 2021, where she’s been an Attorney since 2018. She was a Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney at Legal Services NYC from 2016 to 2018 and a Litigation Associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP from 2014 to 2016. Jeong earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School.

Asif Mahmood, M.D.

Classification: Physician | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 06/03/19 | Term Expiration: 06/01/23

Dr. Asif Mahmood comes from humble beginnings, growing up in the remote Pakistani village called Kharian. He received his medical degree from Sind Medical College, did his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center followed a Pulmonary fellowship at the University of Virginia and Harlem Hospital at Columbia University. Dr. Mahmood has been a practicing physician at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena since 2000 and has served in different capacities from medical executive committee member to chief of staff in different hospitals. He is also on the board of the East Los Angeles College Foundation and the United Nations International Children’s Fund, Western Region.

David E. Ryu

Classification: Public | Appointing Authority: Speaker of the Assembly | Appointment Date: 04/19/21 | Term Expiration: 06/01/23

David E. Ryu was appointed to the Medical Board of California by Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon in 2021. David E. Ryu is a former Los Angeles City Councilmember, ethics reformer, and community mental healthcare advocate. He was elected in 2015 to become the second only Asian American to serve on the Los Angeles City Council and first on Council leadership.

In 2019, City Council passed Ryu’s landmark campaign finance reform bill into law, barring campaign donations from real estate developers with business before the City. He further introduced legislation to expand oversight in City Hall and to create stronger checks on pay-to-play corruption. Ryu led the City to launch Opportunity LA, Ryu’s Children’s Savings Account program for every child in Los Angeles. Other notable accomplishments: he advocated and secured COVID19 testing early on; championed Grave Disability Reform, Paid Parental Leave, and Autonomous Vehicles; established the Hillside Construction Regulation Zone, Concrete Streets Program, Utility Box Art Program and COVID Arts Relief Fund; secured $50M from State for After School Programs; and passed into law the Exotic Animals Ban, House Party Ordinance, and Tour Bus Ordinance.

Previously, Ryu served as Director of Development & Public Affairs at Kedren Community Health Center, dispute resolution mediator, and Senior Deputy to LA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke.

Richard E. Thorp, M.D.

Classification: Physician | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 07/26/19 | Term Expiration: 06/01/23

Dr. Richard Thorp was appointed to the Medical Board in 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom. Dr. Thorp has been president and chief executive officer at Paradise Medical Group since 2001. He was an internal medicine physician and medical director for Butte County for the California Medical Foundation from 1994 to 2000 and internal medicine physician at Richard E. Thorp MD Inc. from 1981 to 1994. Dr. Thorp is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, California Medical Association and the Butte-Glenn County Medical Association. Dr. Thorp earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Loma Linda University School of Medicine.

Veling Tsai, M.D.

Classification: Physician | Appointing Authority: Governor | Appointment Date: 04/14/22 | Term Expiration: 06/01/25

Veling W. Tsai, MD, JD, FCLM, is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California at Los Angeles – David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Tsai is also an attending physician in the Department of Surgery, Division of Head and Neck Surgery at Olive View – UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar, California. Additionally, Dr. Tsai is in private practice in Alhambra, California. He attended UCLA and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography/Environmental Science, graduating with Latin honors. Dr. Tsai then received his dual law and medicine degrees from Southern Illinois University - School of Medicine and School of Law. Dr. Tsai completed his Head and Neck Surgery residency training at UCLA, and is a board certified otolaryngologist by the American Board of Otolaryngology. He is licensed to practice both law and medicine in the State of California. Dr. Tsai previously served as the President of American College of Legal Medicine, and is currently on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Legal Medicine.

Eserick “TJ” Watkins

Classification: Public | Appointing Authority: Senate Rules Committee | Appointment Date: 6/01/19 | Term Expiration: 06/01/23

Eserick “TJ” Watkins was appointed as a public member of the Medical Board of California by The Senate Rules Committee in 2019. He previously served as a Board member on the Physical Therapy Board of California and held the vice president position.

Mr. Watkins is the owner of The Next Level Coaching, a hybrid strength training and life coaching company. He also serves on the board of South Coast Foundation, a US-based private foundation that funds children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Mr. Watkins is a published author, speaker and coach; he holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Graduate School of Business, Stellenbosch University.