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April 25
1906 - Bercaw General Store opens in Surrey (Saugus) [story]
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Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. has appointed Joseph Hedges to the position of Chief Operating Officer and Pamela Mizukami as Chief Deputy Director of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Today’s expansion of the Authority’s executive team comes days after the selection of new Chief Executive Officer Brian P. Kelly, and is meant to continue the project’s rapid transition from the planning phases to construction and delivery.

“I’m excited to welcome Joe and Pam to the High-Speed Rail leadership team,” Kelly said. “I made a commitment to the Board of Directors to bring in highly qualified professionals to continue the transformation of the Authority from a planning organization to a strong project oversight and delivery organization. Joe and Pam have the necessary qualifications to help us get this done.”

In the role of Chief Operating Officer, Hedges will ensure that all construction and engineering elements of the high-speed rail program are delivered within scope, quality standards, budget and schedule throughout the duration of the project.

He joins the program from the Washington Department of Transportation, where he was Program Administrator of the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program and has been an integral part of improving project performance and advancing the progress of the project.

Hedges has more than 35 years of experience in construction, engineering, and project management in both the private and public sector. Since retiring as Captain from the U.S. Navy, Corps of Civil Engineers, he served in numerous senior leadership capacities. The compensation for this position is $337,008.

As the Chief Deputy Director, Mizukami will serve as chief advisor to the CEO on programmatic and administrative matters. Mizukami, who has been assisting the Authority and the California State Transportation Agency in improving the Authority’s administrative functions, will oversee its internal and personnel operations.

Mizukami has served in various roles at the California Department of Motor Vehicles since 2006, most recently as Deputy Director, Administrative Services Division. The compensation for this position is $169,560.

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21 Comments

  1. Brent Simon Brent Simon says:

    He will bankrupt California so bad. It will never recover.

  2. zoom333 says:

    States can not go bankrupt, it’s not legal or constitutional to do so either, and HSR will not do that, if a $100 billion Bond issue were voted on for HSR in CA, the cost over 50 years would be about $50.00 a person, a minor cost, especially for something that does not use OIL…

  3. You go democrats, rail to the poor house

  4. Jase Yo Jase Yo says:

    I laughed when stupid voters first approved funding in 2008.

    Almost 10-years later its the funding drain that sucks more every day.

  5. Are politicians are best at wasting $$$$?

  6. John Gilbert John Gilbert says:

    Yeah. It was “Bait ‘N Switched” from being sold as a non stop High Speed Rail along the direct I-5 corridor in the Central Valley to stopping at every cow town on the hwy 99 corridor, where property is much more expensive.. And people up there won’t even take the Amtrak ! The local city politicians influenced the change in Right Of Way and traded thier support for pork. So, Yes. People would take back their votes if they could. But the Voters wern’t the one’s that lied thier asses off and changed the deal. And the Democrates in power have been stonewalling thier accountability in all things budget in this state, and are running California like a Cartel.

  7. What a waste of money!

  8. Chris Kirk Chris Kirk says:

    Brown is a disgusting excuse for a human being.

  9. Dean Botton Dean Botton says:

    It’s very suiting that the symbol for the Democratic Party is literally a jackass mule.

  10. Crazy train to nowhere. Eliteist tyrants wasting your money on pet projects. Vote Travis Allen to Take Our State Back.

  11. A pet project to line the pockets of democrats for years to come!

  12. I can’t believe anyone even voted for this

  13. WALLY SAUNDERS c/o CRUCE SA says:

    I forget who said that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. All the HSR naysayers obviously do not know history. There were lots of naysayers when the Golden Gate Bridge was planned and being built. Even had more than 300 suits filed to try to stop it. And High Speed Rail is a visionary bridge from one end of CA to the other that people with vision understand. And will be worth every penny.

  14. Jon Capi Jon Capi says:

    Think of Hunger games. You didnt see people drive did you? Nope they toom fast trains everywhere.
    The preparations have begun.

  15. Greg Banta Greg Banta says:

    This needs to be shelved.

  16. Dan says:

    The California High Speed Rail Authority has done everything possible to mislead the public about the estimated cost for this project, even as they’ve been refuted by countless professionals. The fact that there are billions and billions of dollars involved makes this a crime of the highest sort. Surely Chairman Dan Richard and the other board members at CHSRA need to be held accountable for their actions…heads should roll and people should go to prison over this.

  17. Stil says:

    The comments here are so lame. The project is already generating a number of benefits to the State, and will deliver even more in the future. Yet, the comments are full of criticisms that demonstrate a complete lack of familiarity with the project or any supporting literature.

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