Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly48. Melanie Moreno
As staff director of the Senate Health Committee, Melanie Moreno has a hand in pretty much any health bill that lands in the Senate. Health care is always a huge issue in the Legislature, and lawmakers have
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly69. BearStar Strategies
One of the conundrums we run into every year is how to determine which one, two or three folks from a powerhouse organization to put on this list (also known as the Aaron Read & Associates Dilemma).
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly50. Josh Fryday
Relatively unknown to many in the Capitol community, Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday is the man tasked with overseeing one of Gavin Newsom’s passion programs – California Volunteers. But that’s not all. Underneath that umbrella are also
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly61. Yana Garcia
Another newbie to the list, Yana Garcia is the first Latina to ever lead the California Environmental Protection Agency. A native of Oakland, Garcia lived in Mexico during the heyday of the North American Free Trade Agreement
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly58. Doug Herman
What if you ran a mayoral campaign where your opponent burned through $100 million dollars, outspending your candidate by about 11 to one? Moreover, the strategist for the opposition is Ace Smith (no. 69), one of the
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly30. Lindsey Cobia
Lindsey Cobia has been described as Gov. Newsom’s “Swiss army knife,” involved in basically all manner of political decisions the governor makes. But as Newsom this year took on an even bigger national profile, her role as
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly19. Liz Snow
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has surrounded himself with several top-notch advisors, but perhaps no one is more important to his day-in and day-out success than his chief of staff, Liz Snow. Known for her level head and
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly10. Gayle Miller
This is Gayle Miller’s first time on the Top 100 list, but she is hardly a newbie to the Capitol. Miller has served numerous posts around the building, dating back to her days as a staffer with
80. Nick Rowley
We’ve mentioned the revision of the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) a number of times so far: Others involved in that deal may have better numbers on this list, but without attorney Nick Rowley there would
100. Tal Kopan and Joe Garofoli
Tal Kopan was the Washington, D.C. correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle, (she’s now at the Boston Globe) and Joe Garofoli is the paper’s senior political writer. Together, they did good this year –