Pedro Nava Reappointed to Lead Little Hoover Commission Until 2029

Pedro Nava, who has served for 11 years as chairman of the Little Hoover Commission (LHC), has been reappointed to a four-year term as leader of the state government watchdog panel.

“I want to thank Speaker [Robert] Rivas for this reappointment,” Nava said in a news release. “I am honored to continue work on the Little Hoover Commission, an independent voice advocating for policy reform, efficiency and accountability. I look forward to serving with my fellow commissioners on behalf of all Californians.”

Nava, an attorney who has served as a prosecutor and a civil litigator, was first named to LHC in 2005 as a legislative appointee while serving as a member of the state Assembly, representing the Ventura and Santa Barbara areas from 2004 through 2010. He served five years in that role, and then was appointed to the California Department of Fish and Game Blue Ribbon Commission. In 2019, he was appointed to the Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery.

Nava has served for the last 11 years as LHC chairman, elected by his fellow commissioners. Nava’s new term will begin on Jan. 2 and will end Jan. 1, 2029.

Nava has also served on the California Coastal Commission, initially appointed by the Assembly and then later by the Senate. While in the Legislature, he chaired several Assembly committees, including Transportation, Banking and Finance, Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, the Select Committee on California’s Green Economy and the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management. Nava also served on several other Assembly committees, including Insurance, Business and Professions, and Joint Legislative Audit, and was an Assembly representative to the Ocean Protection Council and California Transportation Commission.

The Little Hoover Commission weighs in periodically on a wide range of issues confronting the state, holding public hearings and taking testimony, then issuing letters to the governor and Legislature with recommendations and findings. Its reports often serve as an early indicator of issues that are on the horizon for state government.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, within a week of the government’s stay-at-home order, the commission dealt with how the new protocol would affect government technology projects and bills. Subsequently, it held hearings and then advocated for state and local governments to allow virtual meetings to be held without the traditional requirements for in-person attendance. Later that year, the commission addressed the problems then plaguing the Employment Development Department.

More recently, the commission has been examining the various ways the state can use generative artificial intelligence to benefit Californians.