Dale Kasler. Illustration by Chris Shary100. Dale Kasler
The Sacramento Bee’s Dale Kasler writes good stuff and a lot of it, and he makes even hard-to-report stories look easy. He has speedily reported out – but with depth and nuance – complex tales about pensions, government, transportation, environmental
Brian Brokaw. Illustration by Chris Shary36. Brian Brokaw
It’s not always easy being the child of a Capitol titan, but Brian Brokaw (son of Barry, a regular on this list for years) long ago broke out of the old man’s shadow and established himself as
5. Wade Crowfoot
As the Secretary of Natural Resources, Wade Crowfoot leads the Newsom administration’s charge on climate change, which is a top priority for the governor. In his role, Crowfoot oversees 25,000 state employees in 26 departments, including Water
Ditas Katague. Illustration by Chris Shary93. Ditas Katague
California wants an accurate census, and here’s just the person to make that happen – Ditas Katague. She is the director of Complete Count, the state office coordinating the census program here. She served on the U.S.
Brandon Castillo. Illustration by Chris Shary59. Brandon Castillo
As one of the Capitol community’s top political strategists, Brandon Castillo is often the first call for big-dollar interests looking to push a high-stakes ballot measure across the finish line. In that role he was instrumental in
Karen Skelton. Illustration by Chris Shary92. Karen Skelton
Few people can boast of being steeped in California politics and policy as deeply as Karen Skelton. She’s been practicing the arts of communicating and political strategizing for 30 years. In 2011 she founded Skelton Strategies, a boutique
Teri Holoman. Illustration by Chris Shary8. Teri Holoman
Her title is clear – Teri Holoman is the Associate Executive Director of the California Teachers Association. In theory, that means she heads up government affairs for a union that represents 310,000 engaged members who always seem
Lance Hastings. Illustration by Chris Shary54. Lance Hastings
With 30,000 manufacturers, California has the largest manufacturing sector in the United States. For leadership, those companies and their countless employees look to Lance Hastings, the President and CEO of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association, which
Janus Norman. Illustration by Chris Shary35. Janus Norman
Players like Janus Norman can be really hard to assess unless there is major legislation or a ballot measure fight that puts them out front and center. As with several of the folks on this list, he
Dan Newman. Illustration by Chris Shary90. Dan Newman
Dan Newman is a political strategist, specializing in communications, media relations, and crisis management for candidates, companies, and causes. Newman rose to prominence as partner at SCN Strategies (now Bearstar Strategies). While at SCN he worked on over