Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Department Appointments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances Pete Cervenka to lead Department of Developmental Services
Summary
The Senate Rules Committee advanced the nomination of Pete Cervenka (referred to in the hearing as Mr. Cervenka / Pete) to be director of the Department of Developmental Services after testimony about developmental center closures, the master plan and caseload growth; the nomination will go to the full Senate.
The California State Senate Rules Committee voted to advance Pete Cervenka’s nomination to serve as director of the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), sending the nomination to the full Senate after committee discussion and public testimony.
Cervenka opened with brief remarks thanking family and colleagues, and committee members questioned him about the statewide transition away from large state developmental centers to community-based services, the status of the self-determination program, and the master plan for developmental services. He described Sonoma Developmental Center’s final closure on June 30 and said the state has worked to relocate residents into smaller community settings with individualized supports, acknowledging change is hard and emphasizing coordination with families and regional centers.
Cervenka said the self-determination program now has just over 8,000 participants (up from about 2,500 a few years earlier) but remains roughly 2% of the total population served by regional centers. He noted the program’s ombuds office, established in 2021, has been an important resource and that its call volume is high relative to its participant share.
On planning and capacity, Cervenka described demographic and caseload trends: Early Start cases rose from roughly 45,000 to over 70,000 in recent years, and the department’s budget and caseload planning anticipate serving another roughly 39,000 people in the coming budget year, bringing the average monthly caseload to about 491,000. He told members the department is working on IT modernization (the Life Outcomes Improvement System), additional staffing for regional centers (budgeted increases for service coordinators), and rate-model reform to stabilize provider capacity.
The committee heard numerous public supporters for Cervenka’s confirmation, including family members, regional center executives, statewide advocacy organizations, and former DDS leadership. Supporters cited his collaborative style, experience across state agencies and community connections. Public commenters included family members such as Marty Yamoto and organizational representatives from Imagine Supported Living Services, California Association for Adult Day Services, California Speech Language Hearing Association, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, SEIU California, Special Olympics, the Association of Regional Center Agencies and others.
Action: The committee approved a motion to confirm Pete Cervenka (referred to in the hearing by the informal name “Pete”) as Director of the Department of Developmental Services. Initial committee roll call recorded 4-0 and staff later reported the item on call then closed with a 5-0 tally; the committee clerk said the nomination will move to the full Senate. Outcome: approved in committee, final recorded tally 5-0.
Cervenka emphasized three priorities: modernize IT systems to unify case management and fiscal tracking; ensure regional centers have adequate staff and service-coordinator ratios; and maintain provider capacity through rate model updates and continued workforce investments. Committee members and witnesses emphasized the importance of sustained funding that follows the move from state-operated centers to community settings and the need to track outcomes after transitions.
The committee chair thanked Cervenka for his public service and noted the nomination would be taken up on the Senate floor.
