Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Susan Jensen

97. Susan Jensen

Susan Jensen’s career has skyrocketed alongside that of her employer, the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, aka CNIGA, the nonprofit that represents California’s gaming tribes. In 1998, when Jensen became CNIGA’s first full-time staff person, Indian gaming was still a burgeoning force in the Golden State. Today, with Jensen now serving as the association’s executive director, Indian gaming is in full bloom, as is CNIGA, standing at 50 member tribes, making it the largest regional tribal gaming association in the United States. Jensen is a critical figure in all of the tribes’ biggest fights, including the ballot measure battle against the sports gaming and the ongoing war with California cardrooms.

Updated Aug. 7, 2024