Schwarzenegger pal Bonnie Reiss named education secretary

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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has named longtime friend and confidante Bonnie Reiss as the new secretary of education. The job is one with little actual authority, but provides a new perch for Reiss, one of Schwarzenegger’s liberal pre-politics friends who was a fixture in Schwarzenegger’s early years in office.

‘I am confident that as Secretary of Education, Bonnie will fight to expand the educational opportunities available to all of our students and improve the accountability and efficiency of our public education system to ensure California’s students are able to achieve their fullest potential,’ Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

Since leaving the administration, Reiss has served as operating advisor to equity firm Pegasus Capital Advisors.

In a 2006 interview, Reiss recalled the night after Schwarzenegger declared his candidacy for governor on ‘The Tonight Show.’

‘Maria and Arnold called me that night and they said, ‘Listen, a bunch of these guys are over here talking, but there’s one thing we need. These people are all experienced and good, but none of them go back with Arnold. We need someone whose brain we trust and we know will have our backs. Can you show up tomorrow at the office, get with the team, start to be involved as a senior adviser in the team? And that began it.’

-- Anthony York