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As a native of the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs where it hardly ever rains, Joaquin Esquivel has always known that water is precious. His uncle often took him to the Salton Sea, and he had family served by a well. He carries that respect for the resource as chair of California’s State Water Resources Control Board. “Growing up in the desert, you are very aware of water,” he said.
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31. Alice Busching Reynolds
Alice Busching Reynolds wields enormous power as the president of the Public Utilities Commission, which oversees private utilities, natural gas operations, railroads, telecommunications and private water companies among other far-reaching industries and services. A consummate insider, Reynolds served for three years as Gov. Newsom’s senior advisor on energy and before that
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10. Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher
A former state lawmaker, Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher leads the California Labor Federation, another of the state’s most prominent labor organizations. CLF is affiliated with 120 unions that represent a combined 2.1 million workers, including the United Farm Workers, whom Gonzalez Fletcher brought into the fold when she left the Assembly in
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57. Kimberly Rodriguez
Kimberly Rodriguez has become something of a fixture in the Pro Tem’s office. She was policy director under Toni Atkins and now she’s policy director and deputy chief of staff under Mike McGuire. She manages an 11-person staff for the Senate Democratic Caucus, working to advance the caucus’ agenda. In her role
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6. Tia Orr
Tia Orr may be the most powerful unelected woman in California politics. The first African American woman and just the second Latina to serve as the executive director of the 700,000 member SEIU California, Orr is simply a force of nature. And good thing, as there is no major negotiation involving labor
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14. Anthony York
Anthony York has solid journalistic chops – Salon, McClatchy, LA Times and, most important of all, Capitol Weekly – but in his current role he occupies what newsies traditionally call the “dark side.” He’s the governor’s top communications advisor, helping him navigate a media landscape characterized by hyperbole and gotcha. He’s invariably
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21. Liane Randolph
Liane Randolph chairs the California Air Resources Board, one of the most aggressive government entities in the entire United States when it comes to fighting climate change. CARB is at the cutting edge of environmental regulations; its efforts to ban gas-powered leaf blowers and encourage Californians to purchase electric vehicles regularly are
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16. Andrew Meredith
Andrew Meredith is another new name on this list, heading the State Building and Construction Trades Council, or BCTC. The top-tier labor group is affiliated through local unions with 450,000 workers focused mostly – but not entirely – on large commercial and government projects. Meredith took over in January replacing the feisty
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9. Lauren Sanchez
Lauren Sanchez is Gov. Newsom’s senior climate adviser, a position that didn’t even exist – either in title or substance – until relatively recently. Her title includes “senior” – a real stretch, since she’s only 32 years old – and she is the governor’s go-to political staffer on climate change. Sanchez, a
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10. Ben Chida
Ben Chida is a new name on this list, but you might as well get used to him – he’s going to be around awhile. Chida, 36, currently (it may change before we go to press) is the governor’s Senior Policy Adviser for Cradle to Career, and in the flow chart he’s
Joaquin Esquivel at a water board meeting. (Photo: Water Education Foundation.)
