Technology Operations, Audits, and International Affairs
In 2009, following the merger of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security Helen Lopez was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the newly created California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA). In this role, Ms. Lopez provides support to the Chief of Staff and oversees the functions of the offices within the Chief of Staff; including the Policy and Strategic Initiatives Office and the Audits and Evaluation Office.
Ms. Lopez is also the agency’s liaison for Mexico and other Latin American countries. She is the Secretary’s lead executive staff on the Border Governors Conference for the Emergency and Civil Protection work table and the Border Security work table. The Border Governors Conference is the largest Bi National venue to discuss and resolve some of the most important border issues between the United States and Mexico. She actively works with the 10 Border States on emergency management, civil protection, and border security issues.
In 2008, Helen Lopez was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger as Assistant Director/Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES). Ms. Lopez provided leadership to the Executive Operations Branch which supported and facilitated the directives of the Director and provided oversight to the OES Warning Center operations. She also led the Public Private Partnership initiative which is a statewide collaboration with the private sector in government emergency management efforts.
During 1991 to 2007, Helen Lopez served the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) in many capacities. She was the Executive Director of the State Board of Food and Agriculture where she provided administrative leadership to the 15 State Board members and was the liaison between the members, agency, industry, and the public on agricultural matters.
Ms. Lopez was also the Mexico liaison for the Department of Food and Agriculture and represented the agency at international meetings working closely with other secretaries and agricultural leaders from the USA, Mexico, and Canada on agricultural policy. She also was the agency’s representative for the Border Governor Conference Agriculture Work Table where she collaborated and worked with the 10 Border States and provided recommendation and action plans on agricultural issues.
In 2003, Ms. Lopez assumed the responsibility as Director of the Grant Management Program, administering and providing fiscal oversight and ensuring compliance over the federal Special Block Grant specifically the Buy California Initiative. Prior to this, she was the agency’s Audit Director where she was responsible for overseeing the financial and compliance audits of the 80 revenue producing enterprises known as the California networks of fairs which together had an operating budget of over $350 million annually. In addition, in this capacity she oversaw special investigations and the agency’s internal control reviews and financial and compliance audits.
In 1991, Ms. Lopez graduated from the California State University Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accountancy.