California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Indian American public policy expert Vishesh Anand as Senior Advisor at the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

Anand has been Deputy Director of Special Projects at Newsom’s office since 2025, where he was previously Deputy Regional Director of External Affairs from 2022 to 2025, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

He was a Public Engagement Deputy for Intergovernmental and Legislative Affairs at the Office of then Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti from 2021 to 2022, before the latter became the U.S. ambassador to India.

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Anand was a Field Deputy at the Office of Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin from 2020 to 2021. He was a Client Engagement Representative at Aspiration in 2020. Anand was an Operations Manager at Kinetic Society LLC from 2019 to 2020. He was a Business Analyst at Kinetic Society LLC from 2017 to 2019.

Anand earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Global Studies from University of California, Los Angeles.

Anand’s new position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $140,004. He is registered with no party preference, according to the release.

“Vishesh” in Hindi means special, Anand notes in his LinkedIn profile. “So, from the day my parents named me, I have had the responsibility to live up to my name,” he says. “As I have grown older, I have realized that I aspire to use my individuality to bring happiness in people’s lives with all of my work and endeavors.”

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“Coincidentally, my last name, Anand, means happiness,” he says. “So, I guess I really do have my own brand—Special Happiness. And I hope to spread it far and wide.”

After graduating from UCLA, Anand worked at a couple of different start-ups in a variety of roles including sales, marketing, production management, and client engagement. This, he says, “helped me hone my ability to switch between multiple different hats on the fly.”

“I moved into the public sector in 2020, when I realized I needed more fulfillment in my career. I began by working for a Los Angeles City Councilmember, and then transitioned into the Mayor’s Office,” Anand says.

“In these roles, I was able to develop skills needed to effectively represent an elected official and serve a diverse constituency,” he says. “I am glad to have moved into this career and found my true passion for public engagement, service delivery, and community development.”