Christopher Cabaldon, 45, of West Sacramento, has been appointed to serve on the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Cabaldon, who serves as mayor of West Sacramento, has been a principal at Capitol Impact, LLC since 2009.

Cabaldon was the president and chief executive officer of EdVoice from 2003 to 2008. He served as a vice chancellor for the California community college system from 1998 to 2003. Cabaldon was chief of staff for the California State Assembly Committee on Higher Education from 1989 to 1997. He has been his city’s mayor since 1998, and is the vice chair for education for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Cabaldon is a Democrat.

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Rita Chen Fujisawa of Davis has been selected by the California Association of Health Facilities, a nonprofit professional organization representing skilled nursing facilities and homes for the developmentally disabled, to serve as chief operating officer/vice president of the statewide organization.

For the previous 10 years, Chen Fujisawa served with the California Optometric Association, most recently as associate executive director of marketing and membership. Previously, as director of marketing and membership for the optometric association, she supervised and coordinated association meetings, outreach and branding efforts and managed a successful reorganization.

Chen Fujisawa previously worked at On Lok Senior Health Services, a nonprofit community-based long-term care program serving frail elders in San Francisco. During her 10 years there, she held positions in marketing, communications and fund and business development.

In 2009, she was named one of 12 scholars selected nationally by the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Leadership for their two-year Diversity Executive Leadership Program. That same year, she was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve on the Dental Hygiene Committee of California as a public member.

Chen Fujisawa holds a master’s degree in business administration from San Francisco State University and received her bachelor of arts from Rutgers University. She also recently earned a certified association executive credential from ASAE, joining more than 3,500 industry leaders worldwide. She is a member of the ASAE as well as the California Society of Association Executives.

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Rick Vorpe has been hired as the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation’s director of development.

In his new position, Vorpe will manage stewardship, long-term planned giving, major gifts and fundraising efforts. He also will assist with an upcoming comprehensive capital campaign.

Vorpe brings years of experience in fundraising, most recently as the executive director of planned giving for the UC Davis Office of University Development, where he worked for the past two decades. A large portion of his work benefited the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Vorpe provided leadership through several fundraising initiatives and campaigns, including the university’s current $1 billion comprehensive campaign. With his assistance, hundreds of gift funds were established at UCD by individuals, families and organizations — funds that continue to support students, teaching, research and public outreach. Before UCD, Vorpe served as treasurer of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and finance director for the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency.

Born and raised in a rural community in southwestern Ohio, Vorpe has lived in California for more than 40 years. He and his wife, Evelyn, reside in Davis. Vorpe is a two-tour Vietnam veteran who earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA from UC Berkeley and a law degree from UCLA.

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The Yolo County Bar Association celebrated Law Day and presented several awards on May 2.

Angela Smith, an enforcement officer with the Child Abduction Unit of the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office, received the Liberty Bell Award. This award honors a non-lawyer who has promoted better understanding of law.

BJ Ford, a former Woodland school board member and former president of the Woodland League of Women Voters, was honored with the Cherished Knowledge Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Resolutions were presented to Judge Steven L. Mock for his 20 years of service and Dr. Mortimer Schwartz for his 37 years of service to the Law Library on behalf of the Yolo County Law Library Board of Trustees.

The proceeds from the event will go to two local charities: Meals on Wheels and the Food Bank of Yolo County.

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Skyler Jackman, the son of Alan and Jean Jackman of Davis, has published a paper on the retina in the May issue of “PLoS Biology.” It is the editor’s pick. Since October 2010, he has been a  research fellow in the department of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School.

A 1997 graduate of Davis High School, he received his Ph.D in physics from UC Berkeley in 2009 and was a Grass Fellow at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Institute in 2010.

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Audrey Schneider was honored Friday as the newest member of Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada’s Century Circle. Schneider is the 36th centenarian to receive recognition since the program began and the fifth living at St. John’s Retirement Village in Woodland.

Last May, during Older Americans Month, Yamada, D-Davis, launched the Century Circle, recognizing centenarians residing in the 8th Assembly District, which includes Yolo and Solano counties. Based on the “Keiro No Hi” or “Respect for the Aged Day,” national recognition accorded centenarians in Japan, this voluntary recognition program has honored 35 centenarians in the past year.

The goal of the program, Yamada said, is to bring greater attention to the growing number of people 100 years of age and older, their families and those who care for them.

Each year the Administration on Aging establishes a theme for Older Americans Month. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Older Americans: Connecting the Community.” This theme pays homage to the many ways in which older adults bring inspiration and continuity to the fabric of our communities.

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