Davis Names L.A. Land Use Attorney, Expert in Migratory Species to Coastal Commission

SACRAMENTO —  Gov. Gray Davis on Thursday appointed Cynthia McClain-Hill of Los Angeles and Christina Desser of San Francisco to the California Coastal Commission.

McClain-Hill, 41, is co-founder and managing partner of McClain-Hill Cooper, a law firm specializing in land use, planning and environmental law. She also serves on the UCLA Foundation Board of Councilors and the California Hospital Medical Center Board of Directors.

Desser, 44, has served for the last six years as project director for the Migratory Species Project. A former deputy city attorney for land use for the city of San Francisco, she was executive director of Earth Day in 1990 and was a founding partner of the Muir Investment Trust.

Coastal Commission members have their expenses covered but receive no salary.

The 12-member commission helps regulate development along California’s 1,100-mile coastline. The governor, Assembly speaker and Senate Rules Committee each appoint four members.

Dresser and McClain-Hill are Davis’ first appointees to the commission. They replace Penny Allen and David Armanasco, both appointees of former Gov. Pete Wilson.