Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Erin Niemela

63. Erin Niemela

A savvy capitol veteran, lobbyist Erin Niemela has been in deep this year in negotiations over a bevy of contentious bills involving Ticketmaster. Her women-owned firm – in conjunction with business partner Emily Pappas – Niemela, Pappas and Associates, is larger than many may realize; it billed nearly $6.4 million through the first five quarters of the legislative cycle, employs seven lobbyists and represents more than 55 clients, including Blue Diamond Growers, Deere & Company (you know it as John Deere), eBay, FanDuel, HP (you might know it as Hewlett-Packard), JP Morgan Chase, Mattel (the makers of Barbie), PayPal and StubHub (the last of which put Niemela on a collision course with Ticketmaster this year). She spent years as a staffer for the likes of former Assemblymember Tom Bates and Speaker Willie Brown, and was chief of staff to former Senate Pro Tem Don Perata for over 
a decade. Niemela tries to keep a low profile, 
but insiders know she is a third house force.

Updated Aug. 7, 2024