Davis Names 3 Officials to Staff
SACRAMENTO — Gov.-elect Gray Davis on Thursday named a former White House attorney, Demetri Boutris, to be his legal affairs secretary.
Boutris is a vice president and special counsel to Ronald O. Perelman, chairman of MacAndrews and Forbes Holding Inc., a New York company with interests in Revlon cosmetics, Coleman outdoor recreation equipment, First Nationwide Bank and Consolidated Cigar.
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Boutris, 37, was national director of Greek Americans for Clinton/Gore. He was subsequently selected to work in the White House as counsel to U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor.
Boutris and his family emigrated from Greece to California in 1972. He has lived in San Diego and Los Angeles and he attended Harvard Law School.
“I am both honored and humbled that Gray Davis has asked me to join his team,” Boutris said in a statement from the governor-elect’s transition team.
Davis also named two other members to his upcoming administration Thursday.
D. Robert Shuman, a counsel to the state Board of Equalization and 23-year aide in the state controller’s office, was selected as deputy legal affairs secretary.
Jane Crawford, former political director for the California Professional Firefighters organization and an aide to Davis’ gubernatorial campaign earlier this year, was named to be deputy appointments secretary.
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