Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly98. Krista Pfefferkorn
Few people know the building better than Krista Pfefferkorn. And it’s safe to say the 20 years she already had in the building were a necessity before taking on her latest task seven years ago: chief of staff to Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco. Anyone who thinks it’s easy to manage
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly95. Rebecca Wachsberg
Nobody would probably like to put “herder of the cats” on their resume, but as sources inside the Capitol told us, that could aptly describe one of the many vital things Rebecca Wachsberg does. Formally, she is chief of staff to Sen. Mike McGuire, whose boundless 24/7 Energizer Bunny disposition – and
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly99. Susannah Delano
You might have noticed there are more women serving in the Legislature right now than in previous years. A lot more. And Susannah Delano and Close the Gap are a big reason why. Twenty of the 50 women in office right now came through the Close the Gap recruiting process, including 10
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly92. Erin Niemela
Another lobbyist with a very broad client base, from giants like JP Morgan, Sony, StubHub, Salesforce, Hewlett Packard, Owens Corning and eBay to the small town of Apple Valley California… all of which helped quietly but firmly plant Niemela Pappas & Associates in the top 10 of lobbyist billings in the first
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly96. Susan Jensen
Susan Jensen has come a long way since being the California Nations Indian Gaming Association’s (CNIGA) first full time staff person all the way back in 1998. Since then she has been something of a jack of all trades, serving as the public relations coordinator, director of communications, and deputy director of
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly87. Francisco Silva
For almost two decades, Francisco Silva was the California Medical Association’s general counsel and senior vice president of legal affairs, economic services and health policy. He left last spring to take over as the President and CEO of the California Primary Care Association, which represents almost 1,400 non-profit health organizations across the
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly72. Sue Parker
Breaking barriers isn’t new to Sue Parker, the Chief Clerk of the Assembly. In 2020, she became the first woman to ever hold that position in California, and previous to that she was the first female to be the Assistant Chief Clerk. Before that, she was the Assembly’s first female Reading Clerk.
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly75. Danny Curtin
The California Conference of Carpenters has emerged as a key player in the Housing conversation, marking out more nuanced positions that sometimes put them at odds with their labor compadres the State Building and Construction Trades Council. The pragmatic approach is not new territory for Carpenters’ head Danny Curtin, who wrote in
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly100. Becca Prowda
Becca Prowda has one of the more unique jobs in the Newsom administration – Chief Protocol Officer. And what does such a person do? Among other things, Prowda coordinates all of the governor’s dealings with the California Protocol Foundation, which collects donations from businesses and private individuals to pay for the governor’s
Illustration by Chris Shary, for Capitol Weekly97. Marie Liu
It says a lot when someone who should know calls you “the Kip Lipper” of what you do, but that’s exactly how a lot of people see Marie Liu. For more than two decades, Liu was a policy consultant to leadership in both chambers, most recently as the top environmental policy advisor