1. Home
  2. Communication & Outreach
  3. Newsroom

NEWS RELEASE: CEO Choudri Welcomes Jeffrey Worthe to California High-Speed Rail Board of Directors

August 27, 2025

SACRAMENTO, Calif. –  California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri today welcomed Governor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of Jeffrey Worthe to the Authority’s Board of Directors.
Headshot of Ian Choudri in a gray suit and white-button up shirt.

“I am very excited to welcome Jeffrey Worthe to the Board of Directors. I look forward to working alongside him and other board members to build smarter, faster, and more economically to deliver the nation’s first true high-speed rail system for California.”

Ian Choudri, Authority CEO
Worthe is president of Worthe Real Estate Group, a Santa Monica-based development firm focused on commercial office properties in the greater Los Angeles area. In 2023, he was appointed by Gov. Newsom to the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) Board. He is a member of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Board of Directors and the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission.

Worthe fills the board seat vacated by Jim Ghielmetti, who retired from the board in July 2025.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors was established in 1996. The Board of Directors oversees the planning, construction, and operation of the nation’s first high-speed rail system.

The Board of Directors consists of nine members: five members appointed by the Governor, two members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and two members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. Each Board member represents the entire state and serves a four-year term.

Interviews in Spanish are available upon request. For more information, contact the Authority’s media relations office at: news@hsr.ca.gov.

Se ofrecen entrevistas en Español bajo solicitud. Para obtener más información, contacte a la Oficina de Relaciones con los Medios por correo electrónico: news@hsr.ca.gov.

For the latest on high-speed rail construction, visit www.buildhsr.com.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8. Files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority

Build More, Faster

High-speed rail is a key part of Governor Newsom’s Build More, Faster agenda, delivering infrastructure upgrades and creating jobs throughout the state. Discover more: Build.ca.gov

 

Speakers Bureau

The California High-Speed Rail Authority Speakers Bureau is managed by the Communications Office and provides informational presentations on the High-Speed Rail Program.

Request a Speaker

Contact

Kyle Simerly
916-718-5733
Kyle.Simerly@hsr.ca.gov

MEDIA INQUIRIES

All fields are required.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website and its contents meet mandated ADA requirements as per the California State mandated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA standard. If you are looking for a particular document not located on the California High-Speed Rail Authority website, you may make a request for the document under the Public Records Act through the Public Records Act page. If you have any questions about the website or its contents, please contact the Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov.