Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced the appointment of Scott Kernan as Secretary for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

“Scott started as a correctional officer and worked his way up through the ranks to become warden at California State Prison, Sacramento and Mule Creek State Prison and more recently, undersecretary of operations,” said Governor Brown. “He has the experience and the know-how to do what needs to be done.”

Kernan, 55, of West Sacramento, has served as undersecretary for operations at the CDCR since March 2015. He was owner at Kernan Consulting from 2011 to 2015. Kernan served as undersecretary for operations at the CDCR from 2008 to 2011, where he was chief deputy secretary of adult operations from 2007 to 2008 and deputy director of adult institutions from 2006 to 2007.

He served as warden at California State Prison, Sacramento from 2004 to 2006 and warden at Mule Creek State Prison from 2003 to 2004, where he served as a chief deputy warden from 2001 to 2003 and as a correctional administrator from 2000 to 2001. Kernan served as a correctional captain at the CDCR from 1991 to 2000, where he was a correctional lieutenant from 1987 to 1991, an associate budget analyst from 1986 to 1987, a correctional sergeant from 1985 to 1986, and a correctional officer from 1983 to 1985. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1979 to 1982.

This position requires Senate confirmation and the salary is $243,360. Kernan is a Republican.