From the article: "The vacancy on the authority board could occur because board member David Crane was appointed Dec. 30 to an opening on the University of California Board of Regents, a 12-year appointment also made in the closing days of Schwarzenegger's governorship. There has been growing attention to "incompatible" appointments on the authority board, and if this is deemed one of those Crane almost certainly would opt for the regents."

It is unlikely Crane holds incompatible offices. The thing to look at is whether the UC Regents and High Speed Rail Authority will ever need to negotiate with each other (such as if the trains will go through one of its campuses or other property). I do not see that happening, nor do I think there is much chance the UC controls that much property along the route or have some sort of conflicting interests. In contrast, Richard Katz and Kurt Pringle represented local agencies directly affected by the high speed rail project and were clearly forced to choose which agency to give priority in conflicts. For example, Mr. Katz is on the boards for L.A. County's transit agency and for their version of Caltrain, called Metrolink. The high speed rail project plans to use Metrolink's right of way. It also will go through communities in the county and interfere with other local transit projects. Those conflicts made the offices incompatible. It does not seem like the UC and high speed rail authority will ever have conflicts near the same level or that cannot be rectified by Mr. Crane recusing himself from a particular discussion/decision.