Republican Activist Named to State Panel

Costa Mesa attorney Dana Reed has been nominated to the California Transportation Commission, the panel that helps decide statewide transportation policies and projects.

Reed, 53, served as public representative on the Orange County Transportation Authority until 1993 and was an undersecretary of the state business, transportation and housing agency for former Gov. George Deukmejian.

The Republican activist and campaign attorney said he’s happy to be heading back to the transportation realm after a four-year absence. His appointment to the unsalaried job requires Senate approval.

“The transportation issues are the same--how is Orange County and the rest of California going to cope with increased traffic and increased economic stimulation,” he said. “It’s going to require some new thinking.”

Reed said he will push for completing current projects in the state’s five-year transportation improvement plan, but once those are completed he will advocate more money for mass transit.

For the last 10 years, he said, he has used public transportation an average of once a day.

Reed is a founding director of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which manages Metrolink, and a member of the Los Angeles-San Diego State Rail Corridor Commission.

Also appointed to the commission Monday was Roger A. Kozberg of Beverly Hills, an insurance executive.