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About DPR

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Mission and Vision

Our Mission: We protect human health and the environment by fostering sustainable pest management and regulating pesticides.

Our Vision: Pest management that is safe, effective, and sustainable for all Californians and our environment.

Our Core Organization Values: Our values are standards for how we work and apply ourselves in carrying out our mission and achieving our goals.

Accountability

We hold ourselves accountable to all Californians through transparency and engagement in advancing our mission of protecting human health and the environment.

Collaboration

We foster relationships and build partnerships through consultation, engagement, and collaboration – internally and externally.

Continuous Improvement

We engage in ongoing and continuous learning, innovation, and improvement in our work to best serve Californians.

Integrity

We hold ourselves to a high standard of integrity in our objective scientific review processes and other actions, in our decision making, and through our engagement with others.

What We Do

Our work includes:

Evaluating pesticides for potential risks, and impacts to people and the environment, and for efficacy, before they are registered for use in California.
Continuously evaluating pesticide risks and impacts following registration.
Mitigating risks to people and the environment.
Protecting worker health and safety.
Enforcing pesticide use laws and regulations.
Advancing the availability and adoption of sustainable pest management.

DPR is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).

Visit CalEPA

Resources on DPR’s Work

Learn how we protect human health and the environment. Download the What We Do at DPR to learn more.

What We Do At DPR

What We Do At DPR – English , PDF What We Do At DPR – Spanish , PDF

The Importance of Pest Management

Pest management is critical to protecting California’s healthy food supply, the health of Californians and our environment, and the maintenance of our infrastructure.

Our work supports the practice of pest management in a way that protects people and the environment.

We Evaluate and Register Pesticides Before They Can Be Used

We evaluate pesticide risks to human health and the environment through comprehensive scientific review to inform registration decisions. Pesticides must be registered in California prior to sale or use in the state.

How Pesticides are Evaluated

We Continuously Evaluate Pesticide Risks and Impacts to People and the Environment

We continuously evaluate pesticide risks and impacts to human health and the environment following registration. For example, we monitor the air, groundwater, and surface water. We also conduct risk assessments for all populations (workers, children, and sensitive groups). And, we track and evaluate the use of pesticides to inform and improve protections for workers, the public and the environment.

Environmental Monitoring

We Enforce Pesticide Use Laws and Regulations

We oversee statewide pesticide use enforcement. Enforcement is carried out on a local level by County Agricultural Commissioners. We provide oversight and training to support effective and consistent local enforcement.

We also manage the required licensing of pesticide applicators, monitor for pesticide residue on fresh produce, and conduct compliance inspections at retail locations across the state to determine whether pesticide products are registered and correctly labeled.

Enforcement

We Foster Sustainable Pest Management

We support the adoption of safe, sustainable and effective pest management by supporting increased access to alternatives to high-risk pesticides and through Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Sustainable Pest Management (SPM) technical assistance and outreach. We provide compliance assistance for the Healthy Schools Act, offer IPM grants for research as well as outreach, and recognize leaders in IPM innovations and achievements across the state.

Sustainable Pest Management

We Collaborate with Interested Parties to Advance our Mission

Our work is informed by regular engagement with all partners and stakeholders and their participation.

Meetings and Event Calendar

Our Commitment to Environmental Justice

We commit to a deliberate, inclusive and equity-centered approach to our work. We advance environmental justice and equity throughout our programs and policies.

Environmental Justice

Strategic Planning

Our strategic planning process guides our priorities as well as actions and identifies measurable milestones. DPR released its 2024-2028 Strategic Plan in December 2024. This plan includes DPR’s mission, vision, values, and commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and goals and objectives to guide our work through 2028. Please visit our News and Announcement page for information on how we are measuring and providing transparency into our progress towards meeting DPR’s goals.

News and Announcements

Leadership Team

Our executive leadership team guides DPR’s work to advance the department’s strategic plan and goals, with a focus on our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as core organizational values of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and integrity.

Karen Morrison

Director

Dr. Karen Morrison was appointed to Director of DPR by Governor Newsom on Feb. 13, 2025. Karen served as DPR’s Chief Deputy Director and Science Advisor since 2022. Karen joined DPR in 2018 as a science advisor to the Executive Office and later became Deputy Director of the Pesticide Programs Division and Chief Science Advisor in 2019. Before joining DPR, Karen worked at the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery and the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee, serving on the West Sacramento Environment and Utilities Commission. She has a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Harvey Mudd College and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Daniel Rubin

Chief Counsel

Daniel Rubin was appointed DPR’s Chief Counsel in 2018 by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. Prior to his appointment, he had served as an attorney with DPR since 2013. Daniel is a graduate of Tulane University and Lewis & Clark Law School. The Office of Legal Affairs advises Department executive management and staff on all aspects of the laws it implements.

Alejandra Durán

Deputy Director of Legislation and Policy

Alejandra Durán was appointed Deputy Director of Legislation and Policy by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2022. Before DPR, Alejandra was an Associate at Weideman Group since 2017. She also held several legislative positions in the California State Assembly in the offices of Assemblymember Tony Thurmond, Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, and the Office of the Chief Clerk. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of California, Davis.

Celia Pazos

Deputy Director, Environmental Justice and Equity

Celia Pazos became DPR’s first Deputy Director for Environmental Justice and Equity in January 2023. She leads the department’s environmental justice, equity, and tribal affairs programs. Prior to her role at DPR, Celia led the development of the State Water Board’s Racial Equity Action Plan, presented to the State Water Board in 2023. Celia is a professional geologist and has worked on a wide variety of environmental remediation projects, ranging from groundwater remediation to hazardous soil management and removal. She has a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Geology from CalPoly Pomona.

Leia Bailey

Deputy Director, Communications and Outreach

Leia Bailey became the Deputy Director of Communications and Outreach in March 2021. Prior to DPR, Leia managed public affairs initiatives at agencies in San Jose and Sacramento advising on a wide range of issues including crisis communication, coalition building, strategic communications, and media relations. Leia graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Ken Everett

Deputy Director, Pesticide Programs Division, Enforcement

Ken Everett became the Deputy Director of the Pesticide Program Division’s Enforcement Headquarters and Enforcement Regional Offices in March 2020. Ken has worked for DPR for over 20 years, starting in Pesticide Registration and then moving to Enforcement, where he eventually became the Manager of the Northern Regional Office before becoming the Deputy Director. Ken is a graduate of Chico State with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science.

Jennifer Teerlink

Deputy Director, Pesticide Programs Division, Registration, Evaluation and Human Health Assessment

Jennifer ‘JT’ Teerlink became the Deputy Director over the Pesticide Program Division’s Pesticide Registration, Pesticide Evaluation, and Human Health Assessment branches in 2023. JT additionally serves as the Deputy Science Advisor to the Department. JT joined DPR in 2013. Before joining DPR, JT worked at the United States Geological Survey as a chemist. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Brigham Young University, a Master of Science in Geology from the University of Maryland, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.

Sapna Thottathil

Deputy Director and Special Advisor, Sustainable Pest Management

Sapna Thottathil became the Deputy Director for Sustainable Pest Management in 2024 to lead the department’s statewide collaboration and coordination to foster sustainable pest management (SPM) across California’s urban, agricultural and wildland settings. Prior to joining DPR, Thottathil held multiple administrative roles in the University of California (UC), including as Associate Director of Sustainability in the UC Office of the President, where she helped lead a UC Regent-supported task force that developed a statewide IPM policy for UC’s 10 campuses and six health systems. Thottathil was also a Farm-to-Institution leader in a variety of other roles that will advance her collaborative work in addressing the challenges of SPM adoption, including building strategic partnerships and supply chains between institutions like K-12 schools and hospitals and food producers, and working on antibiotics use in animal agriculture. Earlier in her career, Thottathil published books about Farm-to-Institution in the U.S. and the organic farming practices she researched in India. She began her career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an Environmental Protection Specialist. Thottathil earned a BA in environmental studies and at BA in international studies from the University of Chicago, an MS in environmental change and management from Oxford University, and a PhD in Geography from UC Berkeley.

Christina Bugai

Deputy Director, Administrative Services Division

Christina Bugai became the Deputy Director for the Administrative Services Division, which includes Human Resources and Fiscal, Audits, and Business Services, in September 2020. Prior to accepting the role, Christina was the Human Resources Chief, an Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, and a Labor Relations Officer with DPR. Christina graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Christina enlisted in the Air Force in 2003 and is still currently serving in the Air Force Reserves.

Sam Silva

Chief Information Officer

Sam Silva became DPR’s Chief Information Officer in 2023. In this role, he oversees all department information technology operations. Projects he’s overseen include the development of a system to streamline product registration (CalPEST) and the creation of a statewide pesticide-application notification system (SprayDays). He also led the department through implementing web and document ADA accessibility, adopting Microsoft 365, and streamlining and improving operational processes across the organization. Sam joined the department in 2013 as an assistant web developer. Before that, he worked in marketing and public works within the city government. He graduated from San Diego State University and is also a graduate of the State of California’s Information Technology Leadership Academy.

Regulatory Partners

DPR collaborates with federal, local, and state agencies as part of its statutory requirements and shared oversight role in California.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

DPR is delegated authority from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) on the enforcement of pesticide use laws and regulations.

Visit U.S. EPA Website

County Agricultural Commissioners

State law delegates authority to DPR to oversee the local pesticide use enforcement conducted by County Agricultural Commissioners (CAC).

Visit CAC Website

California Department of Food and Agriculture

DPR works closely with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) on issues impacting the agricultural industry, including pest prevention, environmental monitoring for pest eradication, identification of pest-management alternatives, and economic impacts.

Visit CDFA Website

California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA)

DPR collaborates and coordinates with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA, on worker protection matters involving workers handling and applying pesticides and working in and around pesticide treated areas.

Visit Cal/OSHA Website

Department of Cannabis Control

DPR collaborates and coordinates with the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) on legal use of pesticides on cannabis.

Visit DCC Website

Structural Pest Control Board

DPR coordinates with the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) on structural pest management. DPR licenses structural pest control operators and SPCB regulates the structural pest management profession.

Visit SPCB Website

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Still have a Question or Need More Information?

Please contact us with questions or visit the Contact Us page on our website to connect with other programs at DPR.

Email: cdprweb@cdpr.ca.gov