CHSRA names Kelly CEO

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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Brian P. Kelly

The California High-Speed Rail Authority's (CHSRA) Board of Directors named Brian P. Kelly as its new chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1, 2018.  

 

The decision comes as CHSRA is progressing from the planning phase of the state’s high-speed rail system toward the full construction phase. The authority said the position’s compensation is $384,984.

“Brian Kelly is a proven problem-solver and the leading expert on California’s transportation sector. He has been a dynamic Transportation Secretary, leading strategic approaches to modernize the state’s passenger and freight rail systems, and effectively dealing with natural disaster impacts on roads, bridges and highways,” said Board Chairman Dan Richard. “Brian has been a keen advocate for the development of high-speed rail as a core component of California’s future transportation networks.”

Richard added that he believes Kelly will provide the right leadership for CHSRA as the project moves into the delivery and commercialization phase.

“Brian has ably led the California State Transportation Agency since its inception and is uniquely qualified to move the nation’s first high-speed rail project forward,” said California Gov. Jerry Brown.

Kelly previously served as secretary of the California State Transportation Agency since it was established in 2013.

As secretary, Kelly managed one of the largest portfolios in the state, with more than 38,000 employees and a budget surpassing $18 billion.

During his tenure as secretary, the agency led efforts to:

  • Enact Senate Bill 1, the largest investment in California’s transportation infrastructure;
  • Implement AB 60, a Department of Motor Vehicles program to provide an estimated 1.4 million undocumented immigrants the opportunity to apply for and receive driver licenses in California;
  • Develop first-in-the-nation autonomous vehicle regulations for the testing and deploying of this new transformative technology

Kelly has also been involved in major California transportation policy decisions for more than 20 years, CHSRA notes.

As Kelly departs from the California State Transportation Agency, Gov. Brown has named Brian Annis as acting Transportation Agency secretary. Annis has served as the agency’s undersecretary since 2013.

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