Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 91 Nick Gerda
It is every investigative reporter’s dream to see their work have a real positive impact on society. For LAist reporter Nick Gerda, the dream is reality. Gerda’s dogged reporting on Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do resulted in Do’s arrest and eventual conviction on charges of funneling millions of dollars in taxpayer
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.No. 85 Chris Patterson
PG&E Vice President of State and Local Government Affairs Chris Patterson has a reputation as a highly effective crisis manager and coalition builder, which is a good thing given how often his organization is getting skewered for everything from asking for yet another rate hike to its role in some of
No. 80 Ron Conway
For most of his career Ron Conway has been far better known in board rooms than in legislative offices, but with AI regulation all the rage right now in the Capitol, the so-called “super angel” of Silicon Valley has definitely gained the attention of every California lawmaker. This is due mostly
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.81. Jay Dickenson
The Committees on Appropriations are where so many bills go to die. Each year scores of them go to the Suspense File, where their fate is determined almost exclusively in back rooms well out of sight of the public and us pesky reporters. Which is why Dickenson and his counterpart in the
Ace Smith, Juan Rodriguez and Sean Clegg. Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.64. The Bearstar Trio
A few years ago on this list we admittedly took the easy way out and decided not to try and choose from among the legendary campaign strategist Ace Smith and his intrepid colleagues Juan Rodriguez and Sean Clegg, now collectively known as Bearstar Strategies. Because how do you choose just one
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.No. 76 Jennifer Pierre
A newbie to this list, Pierre is hardly a neophyte when it comes to her role in California’s endlessly complex, often archaic and always political water system. Pierre is the General Manager for the State Water Contractors, the statewide non-profit comprised of the 27 public water agencies that contract with the
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol Weekly.No. 60. Joe Cruz
There are political operatives that are in your face, and there are those who rarely speak but carry immense power. Joe Cruz is one of the latter. Cruz is the Executive Director of the California State Council of Laborers, representing over 75,000 construction workers, the largest construction trade union in the
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 42 Toks Omishakin
Seriously, is there a more thankless job than being the Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, especially now when it seems every highway in the state is undergoing a forever-and-a-day rebuild? People who commute probably wake up cursing your name, or would if they knew who you are. But rest
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 41. Steve Wertheim
This will be remembered as the year of the most significant CEQA reform in the law’s 55-year history, a tectonic shift that will long be credited to the work of Buffy Wicks, Scott Wiener and Gavin Newsom. But insiders also give copious credit to Steve Wertheim, Wicks’ top advisor on housing
Illustration by Chris Shary, Capitol WeeklyNo. 21 Steve O’Mara
Steve O’Mara is another of those quiet folks who just gets things done behind the scenes. Some observers call him a “policy and political smarty pants,” though we doubt that is on his CV. A well-known team builder and a genuinely nice guy, he also has nerves of steel, critical for