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Administrative Staff

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Sophia Selivanoff

Executive Director

Sophia Selivanoff is the Executive Director for Regional Government Services. Sophia’s role is to coordinate and initiate various business plans with service line leaders and administrative staff to meet current and emerging public agency consultation needs. Sophia also facilitates a consistent and positive client relationship with RGS, by focusing on the core values of public service and teamwork.

Since joining RGS in 2009, Sophia has delivered effective, creative and flexible approaches to personnel administration in local government agencies; and has built a reputation among partner agencies for her HR knowledge and her commitment to serving the best interests of our clients. Sophia is passionate about making a positive difference in the work lives of public agency staff and committed to an ongoing and engaged partnership with agency staff that results in enhancing their ability to deliver confident, competent, and caring service to their communities.

With the enthusiastic support of her growing team, she successfully led the development of RGS’ regionally-based HR team service model, resulting in teams based in the Bay area, the Sacramento region, and Southern California. These teams contain an extensive array of HR talent with dozens of seasoned generalists and multiple specialty skill sets, significantly increasing RGS’ capacity to deliver a full range of cost-effective and responsive HR management services to local governments throughout California. Sophia is integrating this team-based vision of extended service capability with all of RGS’ consultative services.

When not at her desk, Sophia is most likely found (or not!) hiking with her husband in a remote corner of the planet, binoculars in hand, marveling at the world’s incredibly beautiful and engaging wildlife.

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Rich Oppenheim

Administrative Services Manager / Training & Development Manager

Rich Oppenheim joined Regional Government Services Authority as a Strategic Services Consultant to support external clients, and also work on HR-related issues internal to RGS. He has worked for state and local government for 15 years gaining experience in a variety of HR and organization-wide projects and programs. His work involves building, leading, and implementing strategic HR and organizational development programs. He brings the ability to merge big picture innovation with ground-level implementation and deliverables. He is a proponent of mining information from organizations to produce data-driven decisions, and technological/process innovation in HR practices. His wide range of experience includes Examination/Selection, Strategic Talent Acquisition, Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, Talent Management/Development, eLearning Development/Planning, Mentoring Programs, Leadership Development, Succession Planning, Performance Management, Change Management, Onboarding, Knowledge Management, and Organization-wide Culture Change initiatives.

Rich completed undergraduate work in Psychology and graduate work in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

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Tiffany Buraglio

Advisor

Tiffany has been with the JPA since the summer of 2010 as an Advisor.  In addition to standard administrative tasks, Tiffany is the main point of contact for most Authority technical matters such as email, phone and web presence, and managed the review and implementation of communications and IT services, including the JPA’s website.  Prior to working with the Authority, Tiffany was a Technical Trainer and Quality Assurance Analyst for a private property insurance company and a Customer Service Representative for a private health insurance broker.  She has also taught high school social studies and has a master’s degree in teaching.  She earned her undergraduate degree from UCLA in Business-Economics and Sociology.

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Jolene Miller

Advisor

Jolene Miller, “Jo”, joined RGS in 2015. Jo has extensive computer networking experience, expertise in personnel administration, report, letter and memo preparation, technical document editing, formatting and publishing, and meeting agenda coordination. Jo’s work experience includes being an Information Systems Technician/Help Desk Supervisor for the United States Navy.

Examples of reports Jo has developed include Business Development Proposals and Statements of Qualifications, Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), Initial Study/Negative Mitigated Declaration (IS/MND), Biological Assessments (BA), Biological Resource Assessments (BRA)Wetland Delineations (WD), Natural Environmental Assessment (NES), General Plans (GP), Climate Action Plans (CAP), Zoning Codes (ZC), and Housing Elements (HE). She is proficient in formatting Caltrans documents and in preparing permit packages and Planning Commission Agendas. She also served as network administrator and provided Information Technology support for 3,500 officers and enlisted personnel within a shipboard environment.

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Chris Paxton

Partner Agency Relations Manager

Chris came to RGS in early 2016 with over 35 years of experience in California local government. He has worked in cities large and small as Human Resources Director, Administrative Services Director and Deputy City Manager. He has had responsibility for such varied departments and divisions as animal services, purchasing, library, facilities, and police and fire. His major areas of concentration (and first loves) have been Human Resources and Risk Management. It is in these areas that Chris developed his sought after expertise in labor negotiations, employee relations, policy development, performance management, benefits administration, recruitment and risk management programs. He has been a trusted counselor and confidante to a number of city managers and senior department heads throughout Southern California.

Chris has an undergraduate degree and MPA from Cal State Fullerton.

Chris is RGS’ Partner Agency Relations Manager.  He works with our partners to assure a smooth transition to RGS services and helps facilitate communications over the course of the contracts.  Chris assists agencies with their questions related to on-going services, invoicing, and other contractual issues.  In addition, he is charged with sourcing and helping to place a variety of skilled staff to fill the needs of partner agencies for all lines of service.


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Anna Marie Will

Senior Advisor – Contracts and Insurance

Anna Marie Will joined RGS in 2018 as a Senior Advisor. Anna Marie has significant experience as a public agency Risk Manager and as an Underwriter for multiple property and casualty lines. Anna Marie has provided management, coordination, and implementation of the risk and insurance programs for public agencies liabilities, property, transportation, workplace safety and catastrophic insurance programs. She has developed and managed Risk Management department budgets and communication, including representing the agency’s Risk Management program to Board of Directors, staff, and other governmental and community entities. She has developed, managed, and delivered employee safety programs. In addition, Anna Marie has negotiated and managed contracts with third party vendors and provided public works construction project supervision.

Anna Marie has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.

Deona Knight

Manager – Human Resources

Deona Knight joined RGS in 2020 as a Senior Advisor in the Human Resources service group. Deona has over nineteen years of public sector human resources experience in large and small agencies where she served as Principal HR Analyst and HR Manager. She has operated and managed all facets of a successful human resources department including recruitment and selection, benefits administration, worker’s compensation, risk management, classification and compensation, employee relations, and labor relations. She has successfully negotiated and implemented new benefit plans, and she is skilled in managing disability leaves and conducting classification and compensation studies.

Deona has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in business administration.

Outside of work, Deona loves to travel and is an avid photographer.


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Maddy Wasserman

Technical Specialist- Human Resources

Maddy Wasserman joined RGS as a Technical Specialist on the Internal Human Resources Team. She coordinates the preparation of proposals and works in human resource project administration.

Maddy has experience in human resource recruitment, office management, and employee engagement. She founded a private practice offering virtual birth doula services and has extensive experience in maternal health and birthing.

Maddy has a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in communication and culture.

Outside of work, Maddy enjoys hanging with her pup and visiting the beach.


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Kelly Bagley

Senior Advisor – Payroll Services

Kelly Bagley came to RGS in 2020 as a Senior Advisor with over 20 years of experience in office management and accounting in both the private and public sectors. Her most recent 10 years were working in local government performing clerical and accounting duties including the preparation, maintenance, review, auditing and processing of public sector payrolls and reviewing auditing and processing of other financial and statistical records. She is skilled in the areas of A/P and A/R, employee benefits management, and year end reporting.

Kelly is a member of GFOA and CSMFO. She has obtained the Certified Payroll Professional designation from the American Payroll Association.


Gina Schuchard

Acting Finance Manager

Gina Schuchard joined RGS in 2020 as an Advisor in Finance and is currently coordinating financial operations with the accounting manager.

Gina has over thirty years of local government experience and has served as budget manager, finance manager, and finance director for large and small municipalities. She has managed all facets of municipal finance including utility billing operations, bond refundings, fee studies, and related technology. Gina has a bachelor’s degrees in business administration and international business.

Outside of work, Gina enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family.


Headshot of Lindsay Rice

Lindsay Rice

Accounting Manager

Lindsay Rice joined RGS in 2022. In addition to being responsible for RGS internal accounting management, she provides finance services for RGS partner agencies. She has over sixteen years’ experience in professional financial services, general accounting, and public infrastructure fiscal and business administration.

Lindsay has a bachelor’s degree in economics management with a minor in sociology and anthropology. She recently completed course work to sit for the Certified Public Accountant exams.

Outside of work, Lindsay spends her time with her husband and their four kids at the pool, on a boat, or attending sporting events. She enjoys running and taking bike rides with her family.


Headshot of Lisa Cooke

Lisa Cooke

Advisor – Finance

Lisa joined the JPA in June of 2014 as and currently handles a variety of staff level accounting functions, including accounts payable.  Lisa has over 25 years of professional, private-sector accounting experience as a controller for a mid-sized company.  Her professional experience is in all areas of accounting, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory management, general ledger, and financial analysis through financial statement preparation.

Headshot of Hermelinda Flores

Hermelinda Flores

Advisor – Finance

Hermelinda Flores joined RGS in 2020 as an Advisor where she supports the authority’s internal Finance team as well as RGS partner agencies. Hermelinda brings over 20 years of administrative and financial experience in private and governmental institutions. Her expertise includes payroll; CalPERS reporting; Accounts Payables and Accounts Receivables; journal entries and account recording keeping. Additionally, Hermelinda is skilled in records management; file maintenance; and reports and agendas used for public meetings.

Hermelinda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Menlo College, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Education from Brandman University.


Headshot of Angelius Knox

Angelius Knox

Advisor – Finance

Angelius Knox joined RGS as an Advisor in the Finance service group in 2021. She provides professional accounting services such as preparing and transmitting client invoices, processing payments, and performing related accounting services for the JPA.

Angelius has over thirty years of experience in accounting and finance in the private and public sectors. Her areas of expertise include preparing financial statements, processing payroll, preparing and analyzing budgets and forecasts, and reconciling accounts.

Angelius has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in business administration/accounting.

Outside of work, Angelius enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and traveling.


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