Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Jacob Mejia

86. Jacob Mejia

If something is happening within California’s tribal communities, Jacob Mejia is either involved or knows all about it. Always. The public affairs director for the influential Pechanga Band of Indians, Mejia was a critical player in the fight to keep sports betting out of California in 2022. But that’s just probably how he’s most well-known to the general public. His connections within California’s tribal communities are wide and deep. He’s the executive director of the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, which made him something of a rock star at the annual Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention in Anaheim this year. Oh and he also serves on the board of directors of the Inland Empire Community Foundation, where he’s chair of the policy committee, and of Open California, the nonprofit publisher of Capitol Weekly. Mejia is a font of knowl-
edge on all things involving California tribes and perhaps best of all he’s known for being approachable and affable, making him a sort of de facto spokesman for tribal interests statewide.

Updated Aug. 19, 2024