Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Stephanie Roberson

No. 96. Stephanie Roberson

Lobbyist Stephanie Roberson is a new entrant to the Top 100, but she’s hardly a newbie to the Capitol community. The owner of Stephanie Roberson Strategies, “a boutique, black-owned single member firm,” Roberson got her start in 1999 working for Attorney General Bill Lockyer, then quickly transitioned to the Legislature where she worked for a series of members. In 2007 she joined the California Nurses Association, where she became their chief lobbyist and helped build the organization into a true force in the Capitol. After 15 years, Roberson struck out on her own. While that can be dicey, she hit the ground running, garnering clients like the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Medical Association, two impressive gets for a relatively new contract lobbyist. But we know why – she has played essential roles in countless labor, health care, reproductive rights, equity in racial justice and nursing education issues, and is widely known and respected for her tenacity and work ethic. These days she has also become a co-editor of the California Target Book, the quintessential non-partisan guide to all things elections in California.