Giles Giovinazzi, Senior Advisor

In November 2019, Giles Giovinazzi started as Senior Advisor to the California State Transportation Agency with over 20 years of transportation policy, legislative and regulatory experience.  Since February 2018, Giles served as the Chief of Staff and Federal Transportation Liaison at the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), where he planned the Caltrans Executive Board to develop major departmental policy and provide direction to strategic planning at Caltrans.  Giles had been serving as the Federal Transportation Liaison for Caltrans and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) since 2014.  In that role he was responsible for developing long and short-term strategic direction for the State transportation system with regard to federal programs, and implementing policy issues to promote the State's transportation related goals and initiatives. In 2016, Giovinazzi chaired the California Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) Implementation Work Group and played a key role in Caltrans' statewide FAST Act and Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) implementation efforts.  He also oversaw CHSRA’s management of its $3.5 billion Federal Railroad Administration grant agreements, and he has drafted written testimony and coordinated witness preparation for U.S. Congressional hearings.

 

Prior to starting state service, Giles spent 15 years in Washington D.C. working with transportation, infrastructure and economic development issues.  From 2002 to 2014, he served as Democratic Staff Director to the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Aviation Subcommittee.  Giles also served as Legislative Counsel to Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA) where he had primary responsibility for issues arising in Congressman McGovern's committee assignments: the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (Highways & Transit, Aviation and Water Resources Subcommittees) and the Natural Resources Committee.  Giles earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor from Tulane Law School.  He’s also a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and he served in Afghanistan.