CalChamber Women Board Members Making History
This Women’s History Month, the California Chamber of Commerce is highlighting our current women board members.
These executives provide leadership as the CalChamber pursues its aggressive agenda to protect employers’ rights and interests in the legislative and regulatory arenas, and to foster a strong and growing economy in the state and nation.
Below are brief profiles of the leaders running some of the state’s top businesses and making history in the process:
Jill C. Anderson,
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Southern California Edison (electric utility)
Jill Anderson is the executive vice president and chief operating officer at Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities.
She leads SCE’s operations groups — including Transmission & Distribution, Power Generation, Customer Service, Engineering, Safety and Operational Services — and is responsible for safely delivering reliable, clean and affordable power to more than 15 million people in a 50,000-square-mile service area spanning Central, Coastal and Southern California.
Previously, Anderson was executive vice president and chief commercial officer at the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the country’s largest state power organization. She directed all wholesale and retail operations, including the market operations of NYPA’s generation assets. She was responsible for customer sales, marketing, new products and technology, clean energy and transportation, and energy-efficiency programs. Before this at NYPA, she led energy policy, sustainability, corporate communications, regulatory affairs and government relations departments.
She started her career at Consolidated Edison Company of New York, leading teams responsible for natural gas and electric operations, redesign of the distribution system to integrate new technologies, and electricity and natural gas procurement.
Anderson has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since February 2023 and serves on the board of directors of the National Safety Council, a nonprofit safety advocate that strives to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury in the workplace and other areas. She also is on the board of directors of the Catalina Island Conservancy.
Anderson received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Boston University and a master’s in business administration from New York University.
Raji K. Brar,
Chief Operating Officer, Co-Owner
Countryside Corporation (construction, real estate development, franchise operator)
Raji K. Brar is chief operating officer and co-owner of Countryside Corporation, a real estate acquisition, construction and retail development firm that has been in business for more than 30 years and now employs more than 500 people throughout the Central Valley.
Brar is a first-generation Sikh American whose parents immigrated from Punjab, India, and began their life in the United States working in the fields as farmworkers.
Brar earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in health care administration from California State University, Bakersfield. Upon graduation, Brar worked as a chemist and in the health care industry before joining her family in owning Countryside Corporation.
In 2006, Brar became the first Sikh woman ever elected to a municipal government seat in California when she joined the Arvin City Council. As a result of this historic achievement, she was named a Woman of the Year by the California State Senate.
Brar is a four-time gubernatorial appointee and has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since April 2023. She serves on the California State University Board of Trustees, Cal State Bakersfield Foundation, and Kern High School District Foundation, as well as the KERO 23 Community Advisory Board and the advisory board of Kern Venture Group.
Brar is co-founder of the Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association, which serves the community through health, wellness and educational programs.
Maryam S. Brown,
President
Southern California Gas Company (energy utility)
Maryam Brown is president of the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), the United States’ largest gas distribution utility. SoCalGas’ 8,000 employees serve 21 million consumers in 500 communities from California’s Central Valley in the north to the San Diego County line in the south.
As president, Brown develops and executes SoCalGas’ strategic vision with a focus on SoCalGas’ aspiration to achieve carbon-neutral operations and delivery of energy by 2045.
Brown has 25 years of experience in the energy industry across engineering, legal, policy, and regulatory roles, having started her career as an engineer in the petroleum refining sector. She joined SoCalGas in 2019 from SoCalGas’ corporate parent Sempra, a diversified energy services company based in San Diego, where she was vice president, federal government affairs.
Before joining Sempra, Brown amassed a decade of legislative and policy expertise working on Capitol Hill, serving in senior staff roles in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. During this period, she served as chief energy counsel to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and subsequently as senior energy and environment counsel for two Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to this, she was a corporate securities associate attorney in the San Francisco office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.
Brown is chair of the American Gas Association Foundation, serves on the U.S. Department of Energy National Petroleum Council, and is on the Board and Executive Committee of the California Chamber of Commerce. She has been a member of the CalChamber Board since March 2019.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and law degree (Order of the Coif) from Louisiana State University.
At SoCalGas, Brown is guiding the company through the domestic clean energy transition and helping California reach its climate goals while delivering energy that is reliable and affordable.
Grace Evans Cherashore,
Executive Chairwoman
Evans Hotels (hospitality)
Grace Evans Cherashore is executive chairwoman of Evans Hotels, a provider of San Diego waterfront resorts.
Cherashore has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since 2012 and served as Board Chair in 2019.
Evans Hotels was founded in 1953 by Cherashore’s late father, William D. Evans, and her mother, Anne L. Evans, a former member of the CalChamber Board.
Cherashore began her tenure with Evans Hotels as chief financial officer in 1984 and later served as president and chief executive officer for 21 years. Before Evans Hotels, Cherashore worked for Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco in the Real Estate Industries Group.
Outside of Evans Hotels, Cherashore serves as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the University of California, San Diego Rady School of Management. Previously, she served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch, from 2008 through 2013 with one term as chair.
Prior to her Federal Reserve position, she served as a director of Peninsula Bank of San Diego and was a founding director of San Diego Trust Bank.
Cherashore also was a director of San Diego Economic Development Corporation, the San Diego State University School of Business, the San Diego Consortium and Private Industry Council (now the San Diego Workforce Partnership), the San Diego Chapter of the American Cancer Society, and the Bishop’s School.
Cherashore has a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Colorado, and an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She was honored by the San Diego Business Journal as the 2013 “Most Admired CEO” for large family-owned businesses. In 2005, she was honored at the publication’s 12th Annual “Women Who Mean Business” awards.
In 2017, Cherashore and Anne Evans received the Distinguished Service Award from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
Susan Corrales-Diaz,
President and Chief Executive Officer
Systems Integrated (systems automation services)
Susan Corrales-Diaz is president and CEO of Systems Integrated, an Orange County-based technology firm.
In 2017, Corrales-Diaz served as chair of the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
She assumed the top post at Systems Integrated in 1988. Under her guidance, Systems Integrated transitioned from a specialty government contractor to a provider of leading-edge technology solutions to government, municipal entities and private industry.
Systems Integrated also manufactures specialized automation equipment, and display and control software. From providing the largest wireless traffic control infrastructure in Southern California, to controlling the water for most of Southern California, the company has grown to provide solutions worldwide for automating infrastructure.
Systems Integrated has applied technology to solve operation challenges confronting industry and government: wireless networks for one-person control of subways; distributed control for major water and wastewater systems; and hydroelectric plant automation. Keeping in step with technology yet ensuring that its designs are built using published standards means that a Systems Integrated solution can evolve with technology.
Corrales-Diaz’s company goal is to continuously invest in the development and application of new technology associated with automation, communications, cyber security, and innovative hardware. SI’s HMI control system product has fully integrated cyber security without the need for any external third party security products to be NIST complaint and is introducing the use of AI to optimize operations. Over the years, Corrales-Diaz has served on a variety of public and private boards.
She was appointed to the President’s Export Council (1995–2000), which provided the President business input about national export policies. In 1996, President Bill Clinton appointed Corrales-Diaz to serve as one of three U.S. business representatives to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC). ABAC members from the then-18 member economies of APEC provided the business sector’s input to the leaders of the APEC member economies regarding the objective of finance and trade liberalization in the APEC region.
In 1997, she co-chaired ABAC’s Cross-Border committee, which addressed issues such as intellectual property, standards and conformance, business mobility, and the sectoral approach to liberalization. She also chaired the Small & Medium Enterprise (SME) committee in 1998. She has continued her involvement with the U.S. Department of Commerce through the District Export Council for Southern California.
Corrales-Diaz has served as a board member with the Automobile Club of Southern California; National Small Business Association; Small Business Exporter Association; and Board of Governors of Chapman University
An active member of the CalChamber Board since 1995, Corrales-Diaz chaired the CalChamber Council for International Trade for many years and participated on various committees. She received her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach.
Diana Davis,
General Manager, Los Angeles Region
Toyota Motor (motor vehicle manufacturing/sales)
Diana Davis is the general manager for Toyota Motor’s Los Angeles region.
Previously, she was responsible for maximizing sales and customer experience for Toyota in the Pacific Northwest, covering Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
Other managerial roles since joining Toyota in 1992 include vehicle sales and services in the Western United States for Lexus and in the Denver region supporting customer service operations in Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Davis has served on the California Chamber of Commerce board since September 2021.
She holds a bachelor of applied science degree in marketing communications from Syracuse University.
Anne Descalzo,
Co-Founder
Clutch (business management and resource consulting)
Anne Descalzo is co-founder of Clutch, General Partner of MinervaVerse, and co-founder of Frequency Coworking and Events, where she leads a human-centered culture and is a strategic advisor to the executive team.
Descalzo co-founded Clutch in 2019 after more than 15 years in the financial services industry.
She also is co-founder and executive producer of BOLD Speaker Series, an annual program focused on women in leadership sharing empowering stories that inspire others.
She has received many accolades for her leadership, including “Enterprising Woman of the Year” by Enterprising Women Magazine and “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Choose Folsom.
Descalzo serves on several boards, including the California Chamber of Commerce (member since September 2022), the Enterprising Women National Advisory Board and the Folsom Tourism and Economic Development Corporation board.
She has a B.A. in journalism from the California State University, Sacramento.
Sandra O. Floyd,
President and Chief Executive Officer
OUTSOURCE Consulting Services, Inc. (human capital management)
Sandra O. Floyd is the president, CEO, and founder of OUTSOURCE Consulting Services, Inc., a workforce solutions company.
Founded by Floyd in 1994, OCSI.co has grown into a formidable force in the staffing industry, celebrating over 28 years of connecting companies with top-tier talent across diverse sectors including engineering, information technology, and the U.S. Department of Energy – Nuclear Sites. Under her guidance, OCSI.co has championed core values emphasizing client-centric service, delivering “exactly what you need—precisely when you need it.”
Floyd has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since July 2010, and in February 2024 was appointed Chair of the CalChamber Small Business Policy Council. The Council, comprising of local chamber CEOs and CalChamber business members, aims to ensure that the needs and priorities of small businesses across the state are at the forefront of legislative discussions. Floyd’s appointment as chair is a testament to her exceptional leadership qualities and her unwavering commitment to the small business community.
In 2019, Floyd was recognized by The Business Journals as one of “The Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business.” She has been listed in Forbes Top 100 of the “Top Women-Owned Businesses in Northern California,” and Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) named her one of its “2021 Global Power 150 Phenomenal! Women In Staffing.”
Floyd graduated from the University of San Francisco with a B.S. in organizational behavior and completed programs in entrepreneurial studies and advanced management from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She is a member of the Morehouse College Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (MIEC) Small Business Cohort.
Jennifer M. Haley,
President and Chief Executive Officer
Kern Energy (refinery and transportation fuels producer)
When Jennifer Haley took the helm of Kern Energy as CEO in 2018, she became one of just a few female CEOs in the refining industry—and the first in California. Haley stepped into an incredibly dynamic and challenging operating environment as she guided Kern to a more public and collaborative approach to navigating California’s energy evolution.
As a former D-1 athlete, Haley is not one to shy away from a challenge. Where many leaned out and pivoted to different business models, Haley and her team embraced the opportunity to evolve, moving to invest further in renewable and low carbon fuels and leveraging Kern Energy’s relatively small size in the market to serve as a catalyst and incubator for innovative solutions.
Under Haley’s leadership, Kern Energy has gone from being one of the first refineries in the nation to produce renewable diesel to now having produced more than 57 million gallons of renewable diesel while continuing to provide 1% of the state’s gasoline and 3% of its diesel fuel. Haley also oversaw a rebranding of the company from “Kern Oil & Refining Co.” to “Kern Energy” to better represent their all of the above approach to achieving California’s climate goals while continuing to reliably supply the transportation fuels that drive the state.
Haley credits many leading women in her life for lifting her up and helping her to advance. She drives this same ethos at Kern Energy and through her leadership positions on the Board of Directors for the California Chamber of Commerce, as an at-large member of the Chamber’s Executive Committee and on the Foundation Board of the California Science Center.
Haley was recently described as having “a way of organizing people such that they feel like they collectively have a purpose” and has established herself as a courageous leader and force for good. A driving principle for Haley is to leave things better than she found them, especially for her two sons, Luke and Jake.
Taylor Hathaway-Zepeda,
Partner
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (legal services)
Taylor Hathaway-Zepeda is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Her practice focuses on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, equity investments, restructuring transactions and general corporate governance. Hathaway-Zepeda works with companies in a broad array of industries, and has extensive experience working with media, entertainment and technology companies, and private equity sponsors.
Before joining Gibson Dunn, Hathaway-Zepeda served as managing law clerk to Chief Judge Sandra Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. She received her law degree from Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review and a finalist in the 100th Ames Moot Court Competition. Prior to law school, she earned a master’s degree with a focus on international economics from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom as a recipient of the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship. She received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude in economics from Harvard University, where she was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa and served as editor-in-chief of the Harvard International Review.
Hathaway-Zepeda has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since August 2023 and has served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce since 2016, where she is also chair of the Governance Committee. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Center at Caltech, where she is a member of the Executive Committee. Additionally, she is a member of Gibson Dunn’s Hiring Committee.
Kerry Tullis Hattevik,
Vice President, Development
NextEra Energy Resources LLC (clean energy development)
Kerry Hattevik is vice president of development for NextEra Energy Resources LLC, a leading wholesale power generator. She is one the highest-ranking NextEra Energy executives in California.
Hattevik previously served as president of NextEra subsidiary TransBay Cable LLC (2019–2021), preceded by a decade as regional director of west government affairs at NextEra Energy Resources. She previously worked for the California Public Utilities Commission and was the regulatory/government affairs manager for the West and California for nationwide energy utility NRG Energy, Inc.
Hattevik has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since January 2020. She holds a B.A. in international studies from the University of Oregon, Eugene, and an M.S. in energy and environmental management from the Norwegian School of Management BI, Sandvika, Oslo.
Fiona Hutton,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Fiona Hutton & Associates (communications and public affairs)
Fiona Hutton is the founder and chief executive officer of Fiona Hutton & Associates (FHA), one of the West Coast’s largest, independent and most successful communications strategy and public affairs agencies where she oversees a trusted and seasoned team of experienced strategists and passionate issue advocates. From health equity to technology, clean energy and climate resiliency, FHA helps shape conversations around the Golden State’s most important and pressing issues.
With offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento and Austin, the agency’s high profile engagements center on C-suite counsel, reputation management, corporate communications, policy advocacy, legislative campaigns, regulatory challenges, public awareness programs and litigation support.
Hutton has more than two decades of experience in public affairs and communications, assisting clients ranging from national corporations and nonprofit organizations to large government agencies and trade associations. She is widely recognized for cultivating an incredibly diverse network of relationships and connecting people for broader purpose. Recognized as one of Capitol Weekly’s “Top 100 Most Influential Players in California Politics,” Hutton regularly is featured as a female entrepreneur, business owner and policy/political commentator in national and statewide news syndicates.
Her agency has received national and in-state distinguishment, including ranking in PRWeek’s Agency Business Report, Los Angeles Business Journal’s Disruptor/Fastest Growing Companies, O’Dwyer’s Top PR Firms and PRovoke Media’s Global Top PR Agencies, and winning dozens of industry trend-setting awards on clients’ behalf.
Hutton serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the California Chamber of Commerce, and the boards of Open California/Capitol Weekly and the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. Acknowledged for her dedication to equitable access to open space, Mayor Karen Bass appointed Hutton as a board commissioner for the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks—overseer of one of the world’s largest urban parks, and most historic and iconic landmarks and venues. An ardent booster for women in leadership, she has also served as a mentor at SheShares. She previously served on the boards of the Valley Industry & Commerce Association, Sacramento Press Club and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
Passionate about exploration, adventure and the outdoors, Hutton is a world traveler, food enthusiast, amateur naturalist and avid hiker—investing in opportunities to gather and connect with her family and friends.
Fran Inman,
Senior Vice President
Majestic Realty Company (real estate services)
Fran Inman is the senior vice president of Majestic Realty Company, where she oversees government relations. The company is the largest privately owned industrial developer in the country. She also serves as the founding president of the Majestic Realty Foundation.
Recognized as a national leader in the transportation sector for her work on the global supply chain, Inman previously served on the California Transportation Commission for 12 years and served on the National Freight Advisory.
In addition to her numerous awards and honors for her work in these areas, Inman was recently awarded Visionary Business Leader of the Year at the region’s Mobility 21 summit.
A civic and philanthropic leader, Inman serves and has served on a diverse range of business, economic development and transportation boards and organizations throughout the region. She has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since April 2023.
Inman holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA in finance from California State University, Fullerton.
Stefanie Kane,
Managing Partner, Southwest Market
PricewaterhouseCoopers (accounting/professional services)
Stefanie Kane is the managing partner for the Southwest Market for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), an accounting and professional services company.
Kane has been with PwC for more than 30 years, leading service teams for several of the firm’s largest clients with a primary focus on consumer-facing marketing and media businesses.
Kane’s previous senior leadership positions within PwC included global media, technology, media and telecommunications strategy. She also led several PwC women’s leadership initiatives.
Kane has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since June 2020.
She is a graduate of Washington University, St. Louis, with a B.S. in business administration.
Julie Kreger King,
Greater Northern California Operations Leader
Antea Group (engineering/environmental services)
Julie Kreger King is the technology segment leader for Antea Group, where she leads a team of engineers, scientists, geologists, and environmental, health, safety and sustainability experts.
Kreger King joined Antea Group in 2017 after spending 23 years at SGI, a computer hardware company, where she served as the global director of environment, health and safety (EHS) responsible for corporate social responsibility, EHS operations and corporate programming to limit risk, comply with regulatory obligations and ensure a safe and comfortable work environment for employees.
She has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since September 2018. Kreger King holds a B.S. in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Davis, and is a certified safety professional (CSP).
Monica Lal,
President and Chief Executive Officer
Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce (business association)
Monica Lal is president and CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, where she is responsible for implementing and monitoring strategic initiatives and policies.
Prior to joining the Monterey Peninsula Chamber in 2019, Lal worked in the hospitality and tourism industry as a chef throughout the world.
She serves on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, as well as the National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Committee; Leadership Monterey County Board; Monterey Bay Defense Alliance; Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) Oversight Committee; Monterey County Business Alliance; Coalition of Monterey Business Associations; First 5 of Monterey County (commissioner 2024–2026); and Children’s Council of Monterey County.
Lal holds a bachelor of arts in history from Reed College.
Janet W. Lamkin,
Senior Vice President, Global Market and Community Innovation
United Airlines (air travel services)
Janet W. Lamkin is senior vice president of global market and community innovation at United Airlines. She was named to this position in November 2020 after serving as California president since 2017.
Prior to this role, Lamkin served as the California state president for Bank of America. She was responsible for growing the business and strategically positioning the bank in California, including developing and maintaining relationships within the corporate, government and grassroots sectors. She spent 20 years with Bank of America, serving in a variety of senior management positions.
Lamkin has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since July 2007. She also serves on the University of California San Francisco Hospital Executive Committee.
She is a former CEO of the California Bankers Association and was a past chair of the Bay Area Council. The San Francisco Business Times has recognized Lamkin as one of the 100 Most Influential Businesswomen in the Bay Area for eight consecutive years, and in 2023 and 2024 recognized her in the Power 100–Bay Area’s Most Influential Business Leaders.
Lamkin holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Westmont College and a master’s degree in international relations from the Australian National University.
Janet A. Liang,
Executive Vice President, Group President and Chief Operating Officer, Care Delivery
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals (health care services)
Janet Liang is executive vice president, group president of California, and COO of national care delivery operations for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals.
Throughout her career, Liang has championed the adoption of new technologies and evidence-based practice to improve the lives of members. Her 30-year career has included numerous president and executive roles in Hawaii and Washington for Group Health Cooperative.
A native San Franciscan, Liang is an active community steward who has served on numerous community boards supporting socioeconomic advancement and Kaiser Permanente’s efforts to close disparities in care among underserved populations. She serves on the executive committee of the Bay Area Council and is chair of the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity. Liang is a founding board member of Futuro Health, an organization dedicated to growing the largest network of credentialed allied health care workers in the nation. Liang is also a board director at Lincoln Financial Group.
In 2022, Liang was named one of the Top 25 Women Leaders in Health Care by Modern Healthcare magazine. Liang has also been recognized as a Game Changer by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and repeatedly honored by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the most influential women in Bay Area business.
Liang holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston University and a master’s in health administration from the University of Washington.
Donna L. Lucas,
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Lucas Public Affairs (public relations)
Donna L. Lucas is the chief executive officer and founder of Lucas Public Affairs (LPA), an agency that counsels clients across a wide swath of sectors, including energy, environment, health care, higher education, technology, tourism, transportation and related foundations, nonprofits and state agencies. The firm specializes in strategic, corporate and crisis communications to support its clients’ public policy objectives.
For Lucas, opening LPA in 2006 is the latest chapter of a 30-year career that includes senior executive positions in the public and private sectors.
She served as deputy chief of staff for strategic planning and initiatives for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and chief of staff to First Lady Maria Shriver.
Lucas also served as deputy press secretary for Governor George Deukmejian, deputy treasurer for state Treasurer Tom Hayes and California press secretary for the 1988 presidential campaign of then-Vice President George H.W. Bush.
She was the global and public affairs practice leader for Porter Novelli, an international public relations firm, after Porter Novelli acquired Nelson Communications Group, where she served as president and chief executive officer for several years.
In 2021, Lucas was the chair of the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, where she has served as a director since 2012.
She served on the Public Policy Institute of California Board of Directors from 2007 to 2019, chairing the board from 2013 to 2016. She also serves on the boards of the John Burton Advocates for Youth, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Maria Shriver’s Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement. She is chair of the College Futures Foundation and is a director for Five Star Bank (FSBC).
Lucas is a founding member of She Shares, a conversation series featuring women leaders who have created a lasting impact on women in California and beyond. She routinely is named among the top 100 unelected influencers in the State Capitol community. In 2018, the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce named her Sacramento Businesswoman of the Year.
She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
Lucas lives in Sacramento and is married to Greg Lucas, California’s State Librarian.
Rashmi Menon,
Vice President and General Manager, California Region
Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc. (infrastructure design and construction)
As vice president and general manager of the California region of Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Rashmi Menon leads diverse teams to deliver innovative solutions for clients in the aviation, environmental, energy, industrial, municipal and technology consulting markets. She spearheads a team of more than 350 professionals in California designing and building the critical infrastructure that serves as a backbone and the lifeblood of hundreds of communities. A champion for women in STEM, Menon is deeply ingrained in industry and community organizations and initiatives.
With a bachelor’s degree in architecture and a master’s degree in construction management, Menon has more than 25 years of experience specifically in large scale programs for customers in the public and municipal markets. Prior to her current role with Burns & McDonnell Engineering, Menon previously served in a senior executive position at a global engineering firm, leading multiple teams across North America and delivering large capital improvement airport programs.
Menon strives to inspire and support the next generation of female leaders. She supports organizations including:
- California Chamber of Commerce, where she is a board member;
- Valley Industry & Commerce Association, where she was a past vice chair and is an executive board member; and
- LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce, where she was a past-executive board member and is a membership co-chair.
Menon lives in Orange County, California with her husband Siddarth and daughter Nora.
Diane D. Miller,
President and CEO
Wilcox, Miller & Nelson (executive search/human capital management)
Diane D. Miller is president & CEO of Wilcox Miller & Nelson (WMN), a national retained board/executive search and governance consultancy firm, serving clientele ranging from global pension funds to private and public companies, and prominent nonprofits. Prior to assuming her current role, Miller served as vice president of portfolio management for a national real estate syndication company, overseeing a real estate portfolio spanning 30 states.
Miller is a seasoned board director, having served on three public company boards, two international private company boards, and numerous national and statewide nonprofit boards. Her expertise encompasses audit, culture, ESGRC, and strategy. Currently, she serves as vice chair and audit committee chair of the AARP Foundation board, on the California Chamber of Commerce board, and is on the Steering Committee for KPMG’s “Disruptive Technology Corporate Director Peer Group.”
Her governance works extends to her decade-long tenure as a member of the National Association of Corporate Director’s Board Advisory Services Faculty. In this capacity, she provided best-practice governance consulting, education, evaluation, and strategic advising to a diverse array of boards, ranging from Fortune 400 companies to prominent nonprofits. She also co-founded the NACD Northern California Chapter and served as board chair during the integration of the San Francisco Chapter and de novo start of the Chapter in Silicon Valley.
Christine Moseley,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Full Harvest Technologies, Inc. (online platform connecting large farms to food and beverage businesses)
Christine Moseley is founder and chief executive officer of Full Harvest, where she is helping solve the massive food waste problem at the farm level. Full Harvest is the leading produce business-to-business marketplace with an expertise on selling surplus and imperfect produce, connecting farms directly with produce buyers online for the first time ever.
Founded in 2015, Full Harvest has been named one of Forbes’ “Most Innovative Agtech Startups.”
At age 17, Moseley started a music education non-profit, Musical Empowerment, which is still growing nationally more than 20 years later.
Moseley has more than 15 years of experience in the logistics and food industries at Fortune 100 companies (Maersk, P&G), as well as high-growth food start-ups. In her last corporate role as head of strategic projects and business development, she assisted Organic Avenue, a New York City healthy food and juice start-up, double in size.
She has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since April 2018. Moseley was recognized as Fortune‘s No. 2 “Most Innovative Woman in Food & Drink” and Forbes’ No. 14 “Woman Crushing Tech.”
Moseley holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Michelle Parker,
Vice President for Space Missions Systems
Boeing Defense, Space & Security (aerospace and defense)
Dr. Michelle Parker is vice president for the Space Missions Systems organization within Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS). She is responsible for program execution, strategic direction, and profit and loss for a portfolio that includes government and commercial satellites, space systems architecture, national security space programs, ground systems, and subsidiaries Millennium Space Systems and Spectrolab.
Parker’s experience leading high-profile space programs spans several decades, with more than 25 years serving in roles of increasing responsibility within Boeing. Prior to her current role, she served as vice president and deputy general manager for the Space & Launch division, where she oversaw the successful Operational Flight Test of the CST-100 Starliner and delivery of the Boeing-built Space Launch System that powered NASA’s Artemis I mission. She previously served as the Space & Launch chief engineer, providing technical leadership for the Space & Launch portfolio. Earlier in her career, she led the Satellite Development Center (SDC), the world’s largest satellite manufacturing facility that has produced more than 300 satellites to date.
Throughout her career, Parker has held leadership, engineering, strategy and execution roles for several organizations across Boeing, including: BDS Engineering’s System Engineering, Integration and Test (SEIT); deputy director of National Space Communications Programs (NSCP); Flight and Vehicle Technology for Boeing Research and Technology (BR&T); and Enterprise Technology Strategy leader over the areas of aerodynamics, propulsion, guidance, navigation and control, and computational science. She began her career in the Thermophysics Department of Boeing Satellite Systems in 1995.
Parker is a member of the U.S. Department of Transportation Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC). She has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since August 2023.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University, as well as a master’s degree and a doctorate in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania. Her doctorate was earned as a Howard Hughes Doctoral Fellow while at Boeing. She also is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s general management program.
Sima Patel,
Chief Executive Officer
Ridgemont Hospitality (hotel and lodging)
Sima Patel is the chief executive officer of Ridgemont Hospitality.
Patel was born in Surat, India, and moved to the United States in 1979. With no prior training or formal education, she immediately began working in a family lodging business. In 1985, Patel and her husband, Pravin Patel, developed their first lodging property. They currently own and operate several branded and boutique hotels in the San Francisco Bay Area and continue to develop great hotel brands.
Patel’s commitment to the community can be seen in the number of organizations in which she participates. In 2007, she received the Richard L. Speece Destination Oakland Award presented by the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has maintained close ties with industry and government leaders in her city, county, and state. Because of those relationships, she was instrumental in securing funding for the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau through a voter referendum and assisted with forming a Tourism Improvement District in Oakland. Patel advocates for the economic value of tourism to her city and state lawmakers and is a true champion for tourism in Oakland.
Patel is the past chair of the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. Her other community commitments include membership in the Oakland Rotary Club and the Oakland Airport Area Business Association.
She was the first Indian woman in the country to chair a state lodging association when she became the chairperson of the California Lodging Industry Association (CLIA) in 2004.
In 2006, Patel was elected by her industry to serve on the California Travel and Tourism Commission (Visit California). After serving two elected terms, she was appointed again to the Visit California Board by Governor Jerry Brown. In October 2016, she became Visit California’s first industry-elected chair of its Board of Directors.
In 2017, Patel was named one of the “100 Most Influential Women in Business” by the San Francisco Business Journal, followed by the 2018 ASCEND Executive Leadership Award, and in 2023, one of the 100 most influential leaders in hospitality.
Patel is the founder of Saaheli, a nonprofit whose mission is to educate, empower, and engage women globally.
She has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since January 2019, is a former at-large member of the Executive Committee and current chair of the CalChamber Council for International Trade.
Ariel Roblin,
President and General Manager
KCRA-TV (broadcast media)
Ariel Roblin has served as the president and general manager of KCRA 3 and My58 since 2020.
She is passionate about the power a diverse and inclusive working environment has on a team to inspire their achievements beyond what they thought possible. She believes building a place where people want to bring their true selves to work, plus trusting their ideas are heard and valued, is foundational to the success of KCRA 3 and My58.
Reflecting on her team, she explains, “Serving our community with trusted local news and helping our local businesses grow through strategic and highly effective marketing campaigns takes an engaged and passionate team that understands the mission and the impact they have through their work at KCRA 3 and My58. “
Her team’s passion for community engagement and support for those in need are what drive the success of the television stations she leads. Under her leadership, the community-focused work of KCRA 3 and My58 has been recognized internationally with two Communicator Awards for documentary work, nationally with three Promax gold awards for promotional work, and regionally with multiple Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards. KCRA 3’s documentary work has also been featured in the Beverly Hills Film Festival and received numerous honors including the Telly and Gracie awards.
As an extension of her service to the community, she has served as a board member for numerous projects and committees. Currently she serves as a board member for the California Broadcasters Association as the Vice-Chair for Television, the California Chamber of Commerce, Visit Sacramento, The Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce as the Vice-Chair, and the Center for Nutrition, which specializes in research focused on childhood obesity and food insecurity.
Prior to her move to Sacramento, Roblin served as the president and general manager of KETV in Omaha for 10 years.
Roblin is the proud mother of two sons. She and her husband are avid supporters of the arts, education, and the development of diverse and talented leadership in the greater Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto communities.
Margaret Wong,
President and Chief Executive Officer
McWong International, Inc. (international ventures)
Margaret Wong is the president and chief executive officer of McWong International, Inc.
Wong founded McWong International, Inc. in 1984, and over the years, the company has become an award-winning solution provider for wireless IOT networking lighting control company branded under mwConnect, one of the leaders in the industry.
Wong has 40 years of lighting experience from manufacturing and procurement to technology development, including light sources, luminaires, LED drivers, sensors, wireless control systems, etc. A Hong Kong native and U.S. citizen, Wong has used her cross-border and financial investment experience to bring together many opportunities and deals between the United States and Asia in the lighting industry and beyond.
She has won the prestigious President’s “E” Award and “Export Businesswoman of the Year” from the U.S. Department of Commerce/Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). She has led numerous successful delegations from the United States to China, including several with California Governors and U.S. agencies. Her expertise in the field is why The Sacramento Bee and Comstock’s Magazine dubbed her the “Business Empress.”
Wong serves on boards for the California Chamber of Commerce (member since April 2011), California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Themed Entertainment Association, and as a Governor’s appointee to the California Citizens Compensation Commission. Under President Barack Obama, Wong was selected for the Presidential Trade Mission to China. She also helped to bring the NBA to China, promoting sports and education.
In 2022, Wong was welcomed into the prestigious Committee of 100. A nonpartisan leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia and the arts, the Committee invites individuals who are pioneers in their respective fields across the arts, science, technology, business, and finance to join based on their extraordinary achievements.
Wong holds a B.S. in economics and finance from the University of Hong Kong.
Jessica Word,
Chief Executive Officer
Word & Brown General Agency (developer/distributor of health benefit/insurance plans)
Jessica Word is chief executive officer of Word & Brown General Agency, a leader in developing and distributing comprehensive health benefit plan models and insurance solutions through licensed brokers.
Word was named CEO in December 2021, after serving more than eight years as general agency president. Word’s broad experience working across The Word & Brown Companies has given her great insight into different facets of the insurance industry. After working in several departments across the organization while in high school and college, she began her professional career as a renewal specialist with Word & Brown’s sister company, CHOICE Administrators, in 2000. Her work highlights include executive management, sales, claims, benefits administration, and broker services. Her thorough understanding of the business led to the implementation of many process improvements to enhance both the broker and consumer experience in the past two decades.
Prior to being named president in 2013, she was executive vice president of operations for Word & Brown, managing small- and mid-sized Group Underwriting, Individual and Family Plan Underwriting, Product Management, Broker Services, Customer Care, and Plan Maintenance.
Word has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since January 2020. She also is a member of the board of directors at the Center for Leadership, California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), and an active member of the Orange County Chapter of the Connected Women of Influence. She previously served as vice president of communications and public affairs for the Orange County chapter of the California Association of Health Insurance Professionals (CAHIP), previously known as OCAHU.
Word was selected by the Orange County Business Journal as one of its six 2022 honorees in the 28th Annual Women in Business Awards and is regularly listed as one of their top 500 influencers in Orange County. In 2022, she also was acknowledged by the National Association of Health Underwriters (now the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, NABIP) with the J.A. “Jack” Ferguson Associate Company award for her outstanding support of the association, including service as lead for its first-ever Technology Committee.
Word was an Excellence in Leadership Development Honoree (for Innovation) in 2020 by the CSUF College of Business and Economics. She served as a mentor for the CSUF Titan Women’s Collective for the Center for Entrepreneurship, serving women in their senior year.
Word’s contributions to the insurance industry led to recognition by CEO Today magazine in 2019 as a health care CEO award winner. She was named in 2018 one of the “Top Women in Benefit Advising” by the editors of Employee Benefit Adviser. She was recipient of a Bronze Stevie® Award for Women in Business in 2015. Word regularly contributes to industry publications, including California Broker, Employee Benefit News, and American Benefit Specialist published by NABIP, as well as the Orange County Business Journal.
Word earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from California State University, Fullerton. She has a registered health underwriter (RHU) designation.
Michelle Wroan,
Office Managing Partner
KPMG LLP (accounting/professional services)
Michelle Wroan is the managing partner of the KPMG LLP Los Angeles office, leading more than 1,500 professionals in providing audit, tax, and advisory services to KPMG clients. In addition, Wroan is an audit partner, serving clients from the emerging growth stage to mature public companies. She is responsible for representing the firm in the marketplace, developing marketplace strategies, leading the growth and success of the Los Angeles office, and helping ensure clients receive outstanding service.
Wroan empowers youth as a board member of the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles. She supports an array of philanthropic initiatives as a board member of United Way. She also serves on the board of Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall of Los Angeles. She chairs the Los Angeles chapter of CEOs against Cancer, a council of the American Cancer Society. She recently joined the CEO Council of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
Wroan has served on the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since November 2022.
She holds a B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Laura Zeigler,
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah (insurance/membership services)
Laura Zeigler is a versatile and forward-thinking executive with extensive experience in business operations, marketing, and sales.
As executive vice president and chief operating officer at AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah (AAA NCNU), she is at the forefront of Membership, Roadside Service, Insurance, Travel, and Auto Repair, as well as Marketing, Communications, Community Impact, and A3 Ventures. She has unified these divisions to create a consistent and cohesive voice for the AAA brand and add value to its over 6 million Members throughout Northern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska.
Zeigler’s visionary leadership has propelled AAA to the forefront of its industries while ensuring that the organization is ready to adopt innovative strategies that will continue to allow AAA to serve its Members in the future.
She was named one of the 2023 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times and has been a member of the California Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since January 2024. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in economics from Arizona State University.