CA Appoints First Black Woman To Lead The CHP

CALIFORNIA — Amanda Ray has served on on the California Highway Patrol since 1990 and has donned eight uniformed ranks within the department. On Tuesday, she was named the first woman to lead the CHP as commissioner and second Black person to hold the post, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.

She will fill the role for Commissioner Warren Stanley, who is retiring Nov. 16.

Ray, a 54-year-old Democrat of Sacramento has served as cadet, officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, assistant chief, chief and assistant commissioner. She was also Special Response Team Tactical Commander at the California Highway Patrol for Superbowl 50 in 2016.

“I would like to thank Governor Newsom for the outstanding opportunity to lead this great Department and to continue to work each day with the women and men of the California Highway Patrol," Ray said in a Tuesday statement. "I couldn’t be more honored and proud to accept this appointment and further the CHP’s mission of providing the highest level of Safety, Service and Security, and ensuring California is a safe place to live, work and travel."

The position requires confirmation from the Senate and the compensation is $282,528.

"I am confident that Deputy Commissioner Ray will be a crucial partner as we continue the important work ahead to strengthen community engagement in public safety and advance reforms to our criminal justice system that will help foster a more just and inclusive future for all Californian," Newsom wrote Tuesday.

Stanley has been with the CHP since 1982 and has held every rank in the department, including Lieutenant of the Border Division Investigative Services Unit and Commander of the California Highway Patrol Academy.

“I’m very proud of my career, but what I’m most proud of is the current and past CHP employees who I have had the privilege and honor to work with,” Stanley said in a Tuesday statement. “All of you are the primary reason I believe the CHP is one of the finest law enforcement agencies in the world. I also want to thank Governor Newsom for his support of me, the 11,000 women and men of the CHP and for selecting Deputy Commissioner Amanda Ray as the next CHP Commissioner.”

During his service, Stanley worked on several highway and traffic safety initiatives, including the Impaired Driving Section, which revised enforcement policies consistent with the use of cannabis when it became legal. He also pushed for research on the drug to see how it affected the ability to drive.

"As the leader of the fifth-largest law enforcement agency in the country, Commissioner Stanley championed causes to enhance public safety for everyone who travels on California’s roads and freeways," Newsom wrote in a Tuesday statement. "We are grateful for his forward-looking vision and pursuit of innovative strategies to prevent injuries and save lives."