Capitol Spotlight
Niesha Fritz’s career path began when she was young, with an electric typewriter gifted to her by her late grandfather and a pension for asking questions. Polishing her writing skills through contests her mother encouraged her to apply for, Fritz eventually settled on journalism. “It was the storytelling I really enjoyed, the process of gathering the details, and then sitting down and weaving them together into something that could be compelling,” she said. “I just sort of fell in love with the craft of it.”
Capitol Spotlight
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when Janeth Rodriguez started on the path that led her to become the new executive director of the California Faculty Association. Even she hesitated when she was asked to tell her story.
Capitol Spotlight
If anyone could claim a rags-to-riches story, it’s Dominique Donette. The 38-year-old director of government affairs for a reconstituted EdVoice began her life at a disadvantage. By the time she was 18, her mom had spent 10 years of her life in prison, and she had yo-yoed between her biological family and foster families throughout California and in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington.
Capitol Spotlight
Nobody can ever accuse Sen. Scott Wiener of only taking on the easy fights. The San Francisco Democrat has in fact developed a reputation as someone almost allergic to tackling any bill – from housing to health care, from psychedelics to artificial intelligence – that doesn’t promise a bare-knuckles brawl to get passed.
Capitol Spotlight
The Capitol’s Fellows programs are considered some of the toughest to break into, and Erica Costa is no stranger to that challenge. A graduate of the Assembly Fellows Program, followed by over 15 years of public service experience, she was recently named director of the Senate Fellows Program at the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State University.
Capitol Spotlight
Ray LeBov is well known around the Capitol—not just for his prowess as a lobbyist and former legislative counsel but also for his kindness, generosity and joy he brings everywhere he goes. Over the last 50 years, he has shaped the lobbying community, both through his work in the legislature, as a lobbyist and as a mentor to thousands of advocates.
Capitol Spotlight
Jesse Arreguín became Berkeley’s mayor just as Donald Trump first took the White House. Now, as the Democrat enters the California Senate representing District 7, he’s preparing to face similar challenges on a much bigger stage.
Capitol Spotlight
Activism is something Susannah Delano was exposed to from birth. “It’s kind of the family business in some ways,” she said. Now, she heads Close the Gap California, a statewide campaign to close the gender gap in the California Legislature by 2028.
Capitol Spotlight
What state government staff want and what reporters want is often not the same. But California Department of Fish and Wildlife communications strategist Katie Talbot has found a way to work with both effectively.
Capitol Spotlight
For the Yee family, service to California is a family tradition dating back seven generations. The legacy is now being carried on by one of its youngest members, Sarah Yee.
Niesha Fritz, photo by Joha Harrison. 
