Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Shari McHugh

86. Shari McHugh

Shari McHugh is a partner in the lobbying firm of McHugh Koepke Padron, which is also composed of her husband Gavin and partners Dawn Koepke and Naomi Padron. For a four-person shop, McHugh Koepke Padron carries a sizable client load of around three dozen, including several insurance interests, the CCPOA, the Warner Music Group, the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association, Shell Oil and the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians. The firm was started by her husband in 2000; Shari joined in 2003, after serving as senior vice president of the Coalition of California Insurance Professionals and senior vice president of the Professional Insurance Agents, which is where the firm draws its insurance expertise, obviously. McHugh also worked as the senior vice president of PIA and served as a legislative aide for Melendez Associates. She graduated from Sac State with a bachelor’s in political communication and government.

Updated Aug. 15, 2023