SACRAMENTO – Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. on Monday appointed Lee Gutierrez as deputy secretary for minority veterans affairs in the California Department of Veterans Affairs and Pouneh Simpson as chief of financial operations for the CalVet Veterans Homes Division.

“I welcome Lee and Pouneh to the CalVet family,” said Peter J. Gravett, CalVet secretary. “Lee’s extensive knowledge and experience in cultural awareness makes him uniquely qualified to fill the Deputy Secretary for Minority Veterans position. Pouneh’s depth of knowledge of fiscal services will greatly enhance the CalVet Veterans Home Division as its chief of financial operations.”

Gutierrez, of Temecula, is a retired colonel with more than 29 years of commissioned service in the United States Army, serving in twelve countries. He has been the division chief of the Joint Interagency Coordination Group at Pacific Command Headquarters since January 2011.

Gutierrez has served in multiple command positions ranging from brigade to platoon and joint staff positions, including director of cultural awareness and counterinsurgency and executive assistant officer to Commanding General, First United States Army, Lieutenant General Honoré.

Simpson, of Sacramento, has served as chief of administrative services division for the State Personnel Board since 2009.

She was chief of fiscal services at the California Emergency Management Agency from 2007 to 2009, chief of administration at the Office of the Inspector General from 2005 to 2007, manager of forms and publication at the Board of Equalization from 2004 to 2005, special projects manager at the California State Controller’s Office from 2000 to 2004 and a budget analyst at Department of Finance from 1997 to 1999.