Illustration by Chris Shary70. Carrie Gordon
A savvy political veteran who keeps a low profile, Carrie Gordon is the chief strategy officer of the California Dental Association, a 27,000-member organization that ranks as one of the more effective trade groups in Sacramento. CDA’s success rests largely on Gordon’s shoulders as she’s played a critical role in achieving virtually
Illustration by Chris Shary7. Keely Bosler
Keely Bosler directs the Finance Department, and if you had to pick a year to hold the job, this might be it: Going into the latest fiscal year, the state had a $38 billion surplus, and as Humphrey Bogart said in The Maltese Falcon, “That’s a lot of dough.” It’s better to
Illustration by Chris Shary52. Michael Picker
Michael Picker is president of the California Public Utilities Commission, an enormously important regulator with authority over telecommunications, investor-owned utilities, natural gas entities, railroads, passenger transportation companies, and more. Picker, an appointee of Gov. Brown, has been on the job since 2014, and it’s been a turbulent period that included the aftermath and
Illustration by Chris Shary44. Michael Rubio
Michael Rubio is governmental affairs director at Chevron Corp., which means he heads the company’s lobbying effort. He’s not a lobbyist himself — that ended last year, according to the secretary of state — but he pushes the company’s legislative and policy goals in the Capitol. That’s a big deal. In a
Illustration by Chris Shary44. Michael Quigley
If there is a single focus at the California Alliance for Jobs, it is California’s infrastructure. And the person who pushes for that 24-7 is Michael Quigley, the executive director. The Alliance is a coalition of builders, laborers, engineers, unions and contractors, and the group had a good run over the past
Illustration by Chris Shary46. RoseAnn DeMoro
Once called “The Most Influential Woman You’ve Never Heard Of” by More magazine, RoseAnn DeMoro has now been heard of – and from. DeMoro generated headlines across the country for her clashes with Democrats as she spearheads an as-yet unsuccessful effort to establish single-payer health care in California. As executive director of National
Illustration by Chris Shary29. Carrie Cornwell
Carrie Cornwell is chief of staff to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and in the world of the Capitol that’s a big deal. Cornwell’s job, of course, is to manage the speaker’s staff. But she does a lot more than that: She is the point person for the speaker’s legislative program, pushing his
Illustration by Chris SharyNo. 43: Lori Ajax
Lori Ajax was appointed by former Gov. Jerry Brown as the first chief of the new Bureau of Cannabis Control. That’s no easy job as California grapples with legalized weed, and Ajax is at the epicenter. She took on the challenge of building an agency from the ground up amid changing
Illustration by Chris SharyNo. 26: Amy Costa
As chief deputy director for budget at the Department of Finance, Amy Costa is second in command at the powerful office that writes the governor’s budgets. But with Director Michael Cohen out sick, Costa is now running the show at the agency that holds the purse strings for California’s vast bureaucracy.
An artist's conception of the bullet train in operation. (Image, High Speed Rail Authority) California’s bullet train may be in trouble again, as a recent court ruling and potential funding obstacles have plunged the transportation project into further uncertainty. The latest setbacks add to lingering questions over whether the $64 billion project can both meet its scheduled completion date and guarantee enough funding.