EXECUTIVE STAFF

• Jacob Appelsmith, Director
• Timothy Gorsuch, Chief Deputy Director
• Eduardo Jimenez, Assistant Director, Administration
• Lori Ajax, Deputy Division Chief - Headquarters
• Susie Smith, Legislative Officer
• Chris Albrecht, Assistant Director - Northern Division
• Joseph Cruz, Assistant Director - Southern Division
• Eric Hirata, Deputy Division Chief - Northern Division
• Rick Ryan, Deputy Division Chief - Southern Division
• Beth Goldberg, Deputy Division Chief - Southern Division
• Matthew Botting, General Counsel
• Tamara Colson, Chief Prosecuting Counsel

Right Column

EXECUTIVE STAFF

Chief Prosecuting Counsel - Tamara Colson

Chief Prosecuting Counsel Tamara Colson is a member of ABC’s Executive Management Team and is assigned to the Department’s Headquarters.

Tamara earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1993 and received her Juris Doctorate from the UC Davis School of Law in 1997. She began practicing law in the private sector with Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann & Girard, as an Associate Attorney from October, 1997 through May, 1999.

Tamara started her public service career at the California Department of Justice in 1999 when she was hired as a Deputy Attorney General under then Attorney General Bill Lockyer. From 1999 through 2005, she served as legal counsel to state agencies in state and federal court litigation. She provided legal advice and represented state agencies in civil matters. Tamara represented state agencies in administrative actions, including disciplinary matters of law enforcement personnel and actions related to licenses issued by state boards.

In 2005, she was appointed as an Administrative Law Judge with the California Office of Administrative Hearings. She presided over evidentiary hearings, and conducted mediations, settlement conferences, and pre-hearing conferences. She also coordinated the student intern program.

In 2006, Tamara was appointed Special Assistant Inspector General with the Office of the Inspector General, Bureau of Independent Review. She provided recommendations to investigators, attorneys and decision makers regarding investigations, and disciplinary proceedings within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. She simultaneously taught at McGeorge School of Law where she was an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Pretrial Litigation Course during the Spring Semester in 2010 and 2011. In October, 2011 she was appointed as the Chief Prosecuting Counsel for the California Alcoholic Beverage Control. Tamara is a member of the California State Bar, and is also a Kappa Alpha Theta Alumna.