Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Angela Pontes

No. 72

At times it is easy to think only of Jodi Hicks when talking about Planned Parenthood of California. But she is far from the only one carrying PPCA’s flag into battle. These days much of the heavy lifting falls on Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Angela Pontes. A former Chief Deputy Legislative Secretary for Gavin Newsom, Pontes has become the public face of PPCA’s lobbying efforts in the Capitol. She testifies regularly before legislative committees, and leverages her deep well of relationships with lawmakers, health leaders and of course the governor to bolster support for PPCA’s agenda. And let the record show she is damned good at it. As much credit as Hicks deserves for PPCA getting $90 million in state funds in a truly horrible budget year, Pontes deserves her flowers as well. Pontes has the competitive drive of an elite athlete, which she was during a successful diving career in college at Georgetown. She also moonlights these days as a spin instructor.