California State Board of Pharmacy
Seung Oh, PharmD, President
Seung Oh of San Diego was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020.
Dr. Oh has been a pharmacy supervisor for Sharp Healthcare since 2020. He was a pharmacist-in-charge at Vons Pharmacy in San Diego from 2014-2020, staff pharmacist at Safeway Pharmacy in 2014, and a pharmacist and director of operations at Rainbow Pharmacy from 2013 to 2014.
He earned a master of advanced studies degree in leadership of health care organizations from University of California, San Diego, and a doctor of pharmacy degree from University of Arizona. He is a member of the California Pharmacists Association.
His term will expire June 1, 2027.
Jessica “Jessi” Crowley, PharmD, Vice President
Jessica “Jessi” Crowley of Los Angeles was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022.
Crowley has been a staff pharmacist for Pavilions Pharmacy since 2020. She held several positions for CVS Pharmacy from 2010 to 2020, including pharmacist-in-charge, staff pharmacist, and pharmacy intern. Her interests include health equity, racial and social justice, and cultural competence.
Crowley is a member of Lambda Kappa Sigma, United Food and Commercial Workers, the California Pharmacists Association, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, and Phi Lambda Sigma.
Her term will expire inJune 1, 2025.
Trevor Chandler, Public Member, Treasurer
Trevor Chandler, of San Francisco, was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022.
Chandler has been a leader in the LGBTQ civil rights movement having worked as a key strategist for seven marriage equality campaigns and multiple nondiscrimination campaigns. In 2015 he was recognized by the Global Diversity List as one of the Top 50 Global Diversity Leaders in Public Life.
His term will expire in June 1, 2025.
Renee Armendariz Barker, PharmD
Renee Armendariz Barker, of San Carlos, was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022.
Dr. Armendariz Barker has been sterile products manager at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford since 1998. She is a member of the California Society of Health System Pharmacists and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.
Dr. Armendariz Barker earned a doctor of pharmacy degree from the University of California, San Francisco.
Her term will expire in June 1, 2027.
Jeff Hughes, Public Member
Jeff Hughes, of Oceanside, has been appointed to the State Board of Pharmacy. Hughes has been a Wellness Business Agent at the Orange County Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 3631 since 2020. He was a Fire Captain at the Orange County Fire Authority from 1994 to 2020 and a Firefighter/Engineer for the City of Buena Park Fire Department from 1985 to 1994.
His term will expire in June 1, 2026.
Kartikeya Jha, R.Ph.
Kartikeya “KK” Jha, of Fresno, was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Jha has been District Director of Operations at Omnicare – a CVS Health Company since 2019. He was Director of Operations at NimbleRx from 2018 to 2019. Jha earned a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Long Island University.
His term will expire June 1, 2024.
Claudia L. Mercado, Public Member
Claudia L. Mercado was appointed to the California Board of Pharmacy as a Public Board Member by the California Senate Rules Committee in 2025. A longtime advocate for public health, Claudia previously served for nearly 11 years on the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. She brings extensive experience in healthcare access, regulatory oversight, and community-centered leadership.
She is the founder of Vervida, a Latina-owned mineral supplements brand dedicated to empowering wellness through science-backed nutrition, and Calibueno, a California cannabis company focused on cultural equity and economic inclusion. Raised in the Bay Area, Claudia’s journey embodies resilience, cultural pride, and a lifelong commitment to advancing health equity, consumer safety, and opportunity for underserved communities.
She holds both an MBA and BA from Mills College and is a proud participant in the Stanford Graduate School of Business Latino Business Action Network (LBAN) program.
Her term will expire June 1, 2028.
Jason Newell, Public Member
Jason Newell MSW, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Board of Pharmacy. Newell founded and co-founded several businesses including 3 non-profits over the last 22 years. Most recently, Newell was Principal and Co-Founder of System2Solutions since 2020. He was also Co-Founder and remains Program Director of Leveraging Equal Access Program since 2015. Newell attended the University of California, Davis and The Academy of Art Colleges earning a Bachelor of Fine arts and attained a Master of Social Work (emphasis on community mental health) degree from California State University, Hayward.
His term will expire June 1, 2024.
Ricardo Sanchez, Public Member
Ricardo Sanchez of Hollister was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2025.
Mr. Sanchez has been an Investigator at the California Department of Motor Vehicles since 1989. He is the Chief Financial Officer for the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and a Member of the San Benito Masonic Temple #211, Order of Eastern Star, Athena #46, California Mexican American Veteran Memorial Beautification and Enhancement Committee and El Soldado Latino. Sanchez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Union Institute and University.
His term will expire June 1, 2028.
Satinder Sandhu, PharmD
Satinder Sandhu, of Davis, was appointed to the State Board of Pharmacy. Sandhu has been Area Healthcare Supervisor of Northern California for Walgreens since 2019. He held multiple positions with Walgreens from 1992 to 2019, including District Manager, District Pharmacy Supervisor and Pharmacy Manager. Sandhu earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Pacific.
His term will expire June 1, 2025.
Maria D. Serpa, PharmD
Maria D. Serpa of Elk Grove was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. in 2018 and reappointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023.
Dr. Serpa held several positions at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento over 25 years and contributed to pharmacy system initiatives at Sutter Health. Her accomplishments include standardization of medication management technologies, regulatory operations and pharmacy construction. She previous held positions of system-support, pharmacy services manager, quality assurance and investigational drug pharmacist. Prior to coming to Sacramento, she worked at Grossmont Hospital (Sharp Healthcare) in San Diego as pharmacy program coordinator of clinical services and staff pharmacist.
Dr. Serpa is a past president of the California Society of Health-System Pharmacists and a fellow of both the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the California Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists.
She earned a doctor of pharmacy degree from University of the Pacific and completed two residencies at University of California, San Diego, Medical Center (clinical pharmacy and critical care).
Her term will expire June 1, 2026.
Nicole Thibeau, PharmD
Nicole D. Thibeau of Los Angeles was appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy by Governor Gavin Newsom in July 2021.
Dr. Thibeau has been director of pharmacy services at the Los Angeles LGBT Center since 2013 and is a member of the policy team, specializing in health services. She was pharmacist in charge at Target Pharmacy from 2012 to 2013 and pharmacist in charge at CVS Pharmacy from 2009 to 2012.
She is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ and disability communities. She specializes in HIV and transgender medicine, and serves on committees at the state and national level regarding the 340b drug discount program and pharmacy operations. She earned a doctor of pharmacy degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences .
Her term will expire June 1, 2024.
The California State Board of Pharmacy comprises 13 members appointed to four-year terms. Members can serve only two terms. The Governor appoints seven registered pharmacists (“licensees”) who reside in different parts of the state and four public members. The Senate Rules Committee and the Speaker of the Assembly each appoint one public member. Public members are not licensed by the Board of Pharmacy.
To apply for a vacant position, click on the corresponding “Appointment Authority” for information on how to submit an application.
| Vacant Appointment Type | Term Expiration Date | Appointing Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Public | 6/1/2024 | Speaker of the Assembly |