Nancy Drabble came to CAOC in 1986 after a stint with Ralph Nader’s consumer rights organization, “Nader’s Raiders.” At CAOC, she was a behind-the-scenes player in the “napkin deal” crafted at Frank Fat’s restaurant in 1988, helped defeat the “Terrible 200s” initiatives in 1996 and has played an instrumental role in budget negotiations to protect the courts. A native of Los Angeles, Drabble received her law degree from UC Berkeley.
 

Nancy, originally from Soledad, California, attended Santa Clara University where she received a Bachelor of Arts, followed by a Juris Doctorate at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She has lobbied for the Consumer Attorneys for over twenty years, specializing in consumer legal rights. She is also a Past-President of Women Lawyers of Sacramento and a current board member of the Consumer Federation of California where she received its 2010 Consumer Champion Award.
 

Lea-Ann guides CAOC’s political operations, including research and support of candidates and statewide causes favoring consumer legal rights. She helped defeat three initiatives and kept five anti-consumer measures off the ballot. As a legislative advocate, she specializes in environmental and insurance law, civil procedure and health care, including landmark legislation holding HMOs accountable for injuries to patients. She has a law degree from McGeorge School of Law.
 

Laurie Klimchock oversees CAOC’s operations and guides the strategic trajectory, concentrating on growth strategies, revenue generation, education, member communications, budget oversight, and board governance. During her time at CAOC, she pioneered the Women's Caucus, New Lawyers Division, Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives, and the establishment of the Leadership Academy. She has accumulated 15 years of leadership management experience spanning association, marketing, and real estate sectors: CMA, PGA Tour, Hilton resorts. Laurie is a Northern Arizona University alumna with a BS in Sociology.
 

Jacquie joined CAOC in 2011 after working in the Assembly for then-Assemblymember Ricardo Lara. Jacquie has successfully passed legislation to permit post-death pain and suffering damages, ban secret settlements in sexual harassment and sexual assault cases, better the rights of elder abuse victims, ensure fair and just compensation for injured undocumented immigrants, and protect the rights of workers. Born and raised in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Jacquie is a proud "Double Bruin," receiving her bachelor's and a law degree from UCLA.
 

Saveena Takhar joined the CAOC legislative team in 2013. She specializes in consumer protection, civil procedure, and privacy rights. She worked to enact first in the nation consumer protections for data breaches within the landmark California Consumer Privacy Act. Other key legislation includes ensuring equal damages regardless of race and a variety of civil procedure efficiencies. She has a dual MBA from CSU, Sacramento and law degree from McGeorge School of Law. She is a volunteer advocate for the Sikh Coalition and participated in a Sikh civil rights policy briefing at the White House.
 

Samantha Helton serves as CAOC’s Deputy Political Director, responsible for coordinating CAOC’s political and fundraising efforts. She earned degrees in history and government from CSU, Sacramento. Samantha served as the California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus Communications and Media Officer, President of Sacramento County Young Democrats and co-chair of the CYD Progressive Caucus. She is Chair the Sacramento Animal Care Services Board and volunteers as a board game tester for a major gaming company.
 

Chris Weaver joined CAOC in 2010 as an intern while attending Sacramento State. After graduating with a degree in Digital Media, he started full-time, taking over the CAOC database, IT responsibilities, and website administration. Along with these regular duties, he frequently heads up larger projects such as the CAOC Convention mobile application. Chris is a lifelong Sacramentan and loves exploring the city with his wife and young daughter.
 

Katie Pebler is an accomplished event management professional who brings a wealth of experience and expertise to CAOC. Her background encompasses decades of hotel and conference logistics plus speaker and program management. She is responsible for event program and hotel logistics for CAOC seminars and Annual Convention. Before joining CAOC in 2023, Katie spent eight years at the League of California Cities, where she orchestrated a wide array of complex, multi-day conferences for city leaders. Katie attained Certified Meeting Professional designation from the Events Industry Council in 2017. She is also a Sacramento native.
 

Wendy Murphy began work at CAOC during college and has never looked back. Her tenure began in 1983 working in various positions over the years leading her to where she is today as Education Manager. She works on all aspects of our educational programs as well as maintaining our members’ CLE credits with the State Bar of California. As a three-sport athlete, Wendy is a member of her high school Athletic Hall of Fame.
 

Sharon Scott is among CAOC’s most veteran staffers, arriving in 1980 after graduating summa cum laude with a degree in public administration and government from Evangel College. At CAOC she serves as managing editor of the organization’s bimonthly Forum magazine as well as administrator of CAOC’s popular list servers and it’s web page.
 

Julie joined CAOC in 2025 after six years in a leadership role launching and growing a nationwide community of consumer advocate attorneys. With a passion for clean communications and experience in brand amplification, Julie ensures CAOC has a strong and consistent brand identity reflecting the mission, values, and goals.
 

Natalie joined CAOC in 2025, bringing with her years of both community and labor organizing. She coordinates CAOC’s multi-faceted grassroots efforts, including membership outreach to legislators, coalition relationship building, and community activism. She is an East Coast transplant who has rooted in Sacramento both figuratively and literally, as a lead managing volunteer for a local mutual aid farm.
 

J.G. Preston joined CAOC in 2009 after working in radio and television in Sacramento and Minnesota. His previous experience includes working as a reporter at Capitol Television News Service, serving as Sacramento news bureau chief for Metro Networks, and more than 20 years as a contributor to a weekly news magazine at Twin Cities Public Television in Minnesota. He majored in English at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.
 

Caroline joined CAOC in 2023 as the Senior Development Manager. She is responsible for overseeing the organization’s President’s Club and Business Partners. Caroline is a Washington, DC native and spent seven years at CAOC’s sister organization at the federal level, AAJ (American Association for Justice), working in development and fundraising. Before AAJ, Caroline worked in fundraising for multiple Democratic Senators, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY), and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA). She graduated from the College of Charleston in South Carolina in 2010.
 

Liz Teves began work at CAOC as a high school intern in 1987 and worked in various positions before leaving in 1996 to work in interior design and launch an alarm business. She returned to CAOC in 2009. During her tenure with the organization, she has worked in almost every department. She oversees the recruitment and retention of CAOC members as manager of the Membership Department. Liz graduated from Sacramento State with a degree in Interior Design and one in Art.
 

Maria Jimenez joined CAOC in 2022. She facilitates and coordinates communication between legislators, state officials and staff in the development and advancement of legislation. With a diverse array of work experience, Maria also provides support in the research, tracking and analysis of bills, as well as independently preparing and proofreading legislative proposal letters. Born in the Philippines and raised in Sacramento, she is fluent in her native language (Tagalog).
 

Katy Aguirre joined CAOC in 2023. She supports the Advocates Club by ensuring financials are processed and reported, and also serves as an assistant liaison to the Women's Caucus, Student Outreach and DE&I committees. Katy also collaborates with CAOC's Membership, President's Club, Accounting and IT departments to maintain the organization's database and accounts.
 

Beverly is instrumental in fostering CAOC's growth, focusing in research, online request tracking, and report generation. She plays a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless operation of both the membership and education departments. She is a recognized Women's Empowerment leader and speaker, showcasing commitment to community outreach, aligning with her passion for fostering positive change and empowering others.