Davis Names U.S. Officials to Two Posts

Governor-elect Gray Davis dipped into the Clinton administration Monday to fill top state Cabinet positions, appointing Grantland Johnson to head the Health and Welfare Agency and William J. Lyons to lead the Department of Food and Agriculture.

Both appointees are Californians with strong Democratic credentials and reputations as skillful conciliators who work well with disparate interests.

Johnson, 50, a former Sacramento County supervisor and now head of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services region that includes California, is the highest-ranking African American appointed so far to the Davis administration.

Noting that Johnson played a key role in helping Western states adjust to mammoth changes in the social services system as a result of the 1996 welfare reform act, Davis said Johnson was the obvious choice for the agency that oversees welfare reform in the state.

“Grantland will use his formidable skills to continue to make progress on welfare-to-work and expanding the delivery of health care services to children,” Davis said.

Johnson said in prepared remarks that he anticipates a good relationship with Davis: “I look forward to carrying out his agenda to continue the progress we have made on welfare reform.” Like Johnson, Lyons, 48, comes out of the federal government, having served since 1993 as the California chairman of the Farm Service Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Davis’ announcement, coming just days after he was criticized for moving too slowly in some of his key appointments, drew high marks from legislators and some of the interests affected by the actions of the two state agencies.

“He’s an excellent choice,” Assemblyman Michael J. Machado (D-Linden), said of Lyons.

A longtime friend of the new appointee, Machado described Lyons as someone who would seek a balanced approach on rural-urban disputes and help agriculture become cognizant of the needs of the rest of the state.

“As 1 1/2% of the population, we [farmers] often think we should be the exception,” Machado said, “but we have to become . . . astute in issues such as pesticide use and water use.”

A lifelong Central Valley resident, Lyons, 48, lives with his wife, Suzy, and four children on Mapes Ranch near Modesto, which his family has owned for nearly 75 years. He raises cattle and grows vegetables.

A portion of the property, Machado said, is a conservation reserve.

Brian Leighton, a lawyer who has frequently sued the agriculture department on behalf of some farmers and packers, predicted that Lyons would quickly become known for his objectivity and openness to all points of view.

“He’ll do justice to all sides,” he said. “It’s not like he’s some political hack for anybody. He’s been involved in some political stuff, but this cannot be considered a political appointment.”

Leighton said Lyons would bring to the table many of the groups that have long felt they were outside the agricultural power structure.

Lyons’ appointment also won the endorsement of old established agricultural interests.

“As a farmer, he knows the challenges of worldwide competition and the complexity of balancing economies with environmental stewardship,” Bill Pauli, president of the California Farm Bureau Federation, noted in a Dec. 5 endorsement letter. “He knows firsthand about complex governmental regulations.”

As agricultural leader, “I will work to develop consensus and common ground among the various communities” affected by his department, Lyons said in a statement.

In appointing Johnson, Davis took a page from Republican Gov. Pete Wilson, whose Health and Welfare Secretary Sandra Smoley is also a former Sacramento County supervisor.

Calling Johnson “an excellent appointment,” the state Assembly’s Human Services Committee Chairwoman, Dion Aroner (D-Berkeley), said he was one of the architects of an innovative community group in Sacramento that was formed to provide services and revitalize one of the poorest sections of the county.

“He understands how to bring different groups together,” she said. “I think he’s been incredibly responsive to counties in helping them figure out what they need to do to comply with welfare reform.”

Casey McKeever, directing attorney for the Western Center on Law & Poverty in Northern California, said Johnson has particular credibility with organizations that work with the poor.

“His appointment is good news,” he said. “He has demonstrated some sensitivity on issues affecting poor people. We’re pleased with the appointment.”

As a federal administrator, he said, Johnson made it a point to maintain contact with advocacy groups and advise of changing developments in welfare reform.

Curt Child, an attorney who used to represent poor people on legal issues involving Sacramento County, said Johnson was one of the members of the board of supervisors “who we could always count on as a rational voice.”

“He was one who was always thoughtful and certainly concerned about the plight of our clients,” he said.

Ellis reported from Sacramento, Groves from Los Angeles.