When I was Commissioner of Corporations, I was sometimes asked about the other commissioners.  However, the Department of Corporations is headed by a Commissioner - not a commission.  Thus, there is only one Commissioner at a time.

The Commissioner is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the state Senate.   Government Code Section 1322(5).  Thus, the Commissioner is a political appointee and not a civil service employee.  Cal. Const. Art. VII, Sec. 4(f).  Unlike the federal system, a person begins service as Commissioner upon appointment by the Governor but can cease to hold office if he or she is not confirmed within 365 days.  Usually, the Senate likes to delay confirmation so that the Senators can see how an appointee is doing.   The appointment process involves one or more hearings before the Senate Rules Committee.  In my case, I'm happy to say that I was confirmed by a 37-0 vote (there are 40 senators).

The Commissioner has a chief deputy.  My chief deputy was Brian Thompson who, although now retired, was a long-term employee of the Department.  At various times, Brian stepped in to serve as Acting Commissioner.  I remember dealing with Brian when I was a young lawyer getting my first permit from the Department.  Much later, we enjoyed some wonderful early mornings fishing.

Recently, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed a new Chief Deputy Commissioner - Ditas Katague.  Prior to this position, Ditas served as director of Census 2010 in the Governor's Office of Planning & Research.   She has also spent time in the private sector as first vice president of state and local affairs for Countrywide Financial Corporation.