No. 47: Capitol Weekly’s Top 100

47. Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly, formerly Brown’s secretary of transportation, has been at the forefront of some of California’s most contentious legislative initiatives, so he should be right at home at his current gig — the CEO of California’s bullet train program, the High Speed Rail Authority. As transportation secretary, Kelly was well-versed in high-speed rail; that expertise will be invaluable as he takes direct control of the project. One of his goals is to get the train on track as soon as possible, partly because Brown will leave office in January and there is uncertainty about what the next governor will do.  Kelly, who served as a Senate transportation consultant under four Senate leaders, joined Brown’s administration as transportation secretary with a portfolio that included overseeing Caltrans, California’s massive state transportation agency. His bullet train gig pays nearly $390,000 — a better take than in the Senate.

Updated Aug. 15, 2018