Manavian

*1129 A career executive assignment (CEA) is "an appointment to a high administrative and policy influencing position within the state civil service in which the incumbent's primary responsibility is the managing of a major function or the rendering of management advice to *1130 top-level administrative authority. Such a position can be established only in the top managerial levels of state service and is typified by broad responsibility for policy implementation and extensive participation in policy evolvement. Assignment by appointment to such a position does not confer any rights or status in the position other than provided in Article 9 ... of Chapter 2.5 of Part 2.6." ( Gov. Code, § 18547.) 1 The rights conferred by article 9 are the rights of all civil *714 service employees relating to punitive actions, except that the termination of a CEA is not a punitive action. (§ 19889.2.)

CEA positions are part of the general civil service system, but an employee enjoys no tenure in a CEA. ( Professional Engineers in Cal. Government v. State Personnel Bd. (2001) 90 Cal.App.4th 678 , 689, 692, 109 Cal.Rptr.2d 375 ( Professional Engineers ).) The CEA legislation was created to…