Sharon brings to the CPPG team nearly 20 years of experience working on statewide policy, funding, and regulatory matters. She has devoted her career to advocating for the legislative and funding priorities of municipalities throughout California and to developing her detailed knowledge of the complex legislative process.

Sharon started her career in the California State Capitol as Scheduler and Legislative Aide to then-Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia. During her Capitol tenure in both the Assembly and Senate, she worked on numerous policy issues, including housing, transportation, natural resources, energy, economic development, and the budget.

Sharon served as Legislative Director in the California State Senate, supporting then-Senator Anthony Cannella in his role as Vice Chair of both the Senate Natural Resources Committee and the Transportation and Housing Committee. In this role, she was instrumental in negotiating on major statewide environmental and transportation issues important to the 12^th Senate District, including Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014, and SB 1 (Beall), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 [Chapter 5, Statutes of 2017], which increased permanent local transportation funding. During her time in the Legislature, Sharon developed and has maintained an extensive bipartisan network of relationships with Members and staff of the California Legislature.

Having spent nearly a decade working in the California Assembly and Senate, Sharon has a deep understanding of the State’s complex budget process and extensive experience in navigating it. This has been critical when advocating for increased funding for conservation efforts and other environmental protections through the California Budget process, Cap and Trade, and bond-related legislation.

Sharon has a proven track record of leveraging her strong relationships in the Capitol, Governor’s Administration, and key government agencies to advance her clients’ goals. Her expertise in the policy areas of natural resources, local governance, housing, and transportation draws on her experience as both a former legislative staff member and local government lobbyist.

Prior to joining CPPG, Sharon was a Senior Associate at Townsend Public Affairs, representing local public agency clients and specializing in those from severely disadvantaged regions of California. She has helped secure millions of dollars for critical infrastructure and public safety improvements. Sharon has also worked with congressional and federal agency officials on behalf of various regional government bodies advocating for increased infrastructure funding.

Since joining CPPG in 2020, Sharon has played a key role in the firm’s growth, providing clients with personalized customer service to best meet each organization’s advocacy goals. She has worked with clients to enact legislation to enhance the public’s safety on state beaches, allow employers to seek a temporary restraining order to protect employees who are the subject of harassment as a result of their job, and protect against threats to cybersecurity.

Sharon’s knowledge of the budget process has been instrumental in CPPG’s securing millions of dollars for key projects throughout California that advance access to outdoor spaces, rehabilitate aging parks, protect communities from wildfire risk, and enhance public safety.

For the past five years, Sharon served as a Board member for My Sister’s House, a Sacramento-based nonprofit that provides assistance to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, particularly in the Asian Pacific Islander community. She resides in West Sacramento with her husband and two teenage sons.