New State Architect Appointed by Governor Brown

The Department of General Services today released the following statement from Chester “Chet” Widom who was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown today to serve as California’s State Architect, charged with overseeing the Division of the State Architect within the Department of General Services.

“I look forward to working closely with my staff at the Division of the State Architect, the Department of General Services, the legislature and other local leaders to make our state even more innovative, sustainable and efficient, ” said State Architect Chet Widom. “We face many challenges, but my immediate priority is to carefully scrutinize and streamline the State Architect’s operations.”

Widom served as senior architectural advisor to Build-Los Angeles Community College District from 2009 to 2011 and was a partner at Widom Wein Cohen O’Leary Terasawa from 1964 to 2008.

He was a member of the executive committee of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Bond Oversight Committee from 2010 to 2011 and a member of the Hospital Building and Safety Board from 2004 to 2010. Widom was a commissioner for the Los Angeles Planning Commission from 2002 to 2004 and a commissioner for the Building and Safety Commission for the City of Los Angeles from 2000 to 2004. He was elected to the Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission, where he served from 1998 to 2000.

He was the national president of the American Institute of Architects in 1995.

This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $142,964. Widom is a Democrat.