Board of Directors

SacLegal holds its board meetings on the first Wednesday of every month. Email [email protected] for more details.

Meet our 2025 Board of Directors:

OFFICERS

Jorge Gaitan (Co-Chair) (He/Him)

Jorge is a government attorney, focusing on civil litigation and prevention of fraud and abuse in bankruptcy. Jorge is a prior Secretary and Treasurer for SacLegal. Jorge moved to Sacramento in 2020 after several years serving as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Judge Mark Houle in the Central District of California. Jorge has worked as an assistant general counsel for the State of California's ALRB and was counsel for chapter 7 trustees while working as an associate at BG Law in Los Angeles. Jorge received his J.D. from Boston College Law School, and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Jorge spends his free time with his husband and two daughters exploring Northern California.

Courtney Kirchner (Co-Chair)

Courtney (she/her) is a staff attorney for Parent Advocates of Sacramento, a firm that represents parents and guardians who are involved in the Child Protective Services system. As a staff attorney, Courtney handles a myriad of cases with families involved in CPS and ensures that appropriate services are given to each family. Courtney graduated from McGeorge School of Law where she was an active member of McGeorge Lambda group. She received her undergraduate degree from Western Illinois University in Moline, IL. Courtney moved to California in 2012 where she lives with her wife, two young children, and their animals. She enjoys doing things to help animals, being outdoors when it’s not extremely hot and exploring with her children, and loves the coastal region.

John Tan (Treasurer)

John has been a staff attorney at Legal Services of Northern California since June 2011, working in the Health rights unit in the Sacramento office. He is currently the Program Manager/Managing Attorney for HICAP Services of Northern California, which provides counseling to Medicare beneficiaries. Additionally, he is an instructor for UC Davis School of Law's Lawyering Practice curriculum.

Cecilia Zerda-Herrera (Secretary)

David Bell (Asst. Treasurer)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeremy Avila

Jeremy (he/him) is a former Chief Counsel for the California Department of Aging, a statewide department under the Health & Human Services Agency. Prior to this role, he served as a Deputy County Counsel for Santa Clara County and as a Deputy District Attorney for Santa Clara and Monterey counties. Jeremy is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and the University of Southern California. He enjoys cooking, hiking, wine tasting, and exploring the Sacramento region.

Nate Jenkins

Nate is a Shareholder at Littler Mendelson, P.C., where he advises and represents employers in a broad range of labor and employment law matters arising under federal and state laws, but he focuses mainly on complex wage and hour class actions and representative actions arising under the California Labor Code and the California Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). At Littler, Nate serves on the firm's Diversity and Inclusion Council, has previously served on the Associates Council, and is an active member of Littler’s Pride Affinity Group. Prior to joining Littler, Nate worked as Staff Counsel for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency’s Employment Training Panel (ETP). Nate received his J.D. from California Western School of Law, and his B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Nate enjoys spending time with his husband, his dachshund, and his family and friends, while exploring everything great Sacramento has to offer.

Kibbe Day

Ashley Harvey

Ashley is a Deputy District Attorney for Yolo County, focusing on consumer fraud and environmental protection. Ashley has served on SacLegal's Board of Directors since 2018 and as Co-Chair from 2019-2020. Before moving to Sacramento, Ashley worked for an environmental nonprofit in Washington, D.C., where she moved after completing law school in her home state of Florida. Ashley has intensive experience in event coordination and management. Environmentally friendly practices and products is a passion of Ashley's and she continually strives for an eco-conscious lifestyle.

Lexi Purich Howard (She/Her)

Lexi Howard is an attorney at the California Department of Water Resources in the Office of the General Counsel. Lexi was previously an attorney in the Legal Affairs Office of the California Secretary of State, and before that, was in private practice as a real estate and business attorney. Prior to that (before, during, and after law school), Lexi was a public policy advocate and contract lobbyist, representing real estate and business organizations and trade associations. From 1985 through 2010, Lexi worked for a national title insurance and financial services firm. Lexi earned a J.D. from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, and a B.S. in Business Management from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California.

Lexi also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sacramento LGBT Community
Center; is the current Chair of the Diversity Board for the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and is a member of its Member of its Capital Advisory Board. Lexi mentors high school students and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Law & Public Policy Program at C.K. McClatchy Senior High School, and serves as a mentor to law school students, bar takers, and really anyone who asks.

Annette Rose

Annette Rose practices Labor & Employment law in the Sacramento area. In her practice, Annette handles all aspects of employment-related litigation, including, but not limited to defense of Fair Employment and Housing Act claims and charges, complex wage and hour class and representative actions, and advice and counsel to California employers to develop, improve, and expand their DEI practices and policies, among others. Annette enjoys spending time with her wife, adorable fur baby, Tilda “Tilly Bear” Rose, cooking, and traveling.

Brandon Bjerke

Brandon is the Legislative Director for Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. He serves as staff to the Assembly Select Committee on Cybersecurity, and was previously a law clerk for the Assembly Committee on Privacy & Consumer Protection. He serves as a Staff Co-Chair for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Technology and Communications Committee. Brandon helped found and served as Treasurer for the Capitol LGBTQ Staff Association, an organization dedicated to the recruitment and professional development of LGBTQ public policy professionals. He is a graduate of University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and Saint Mary’s College of California.

Jordan Greenberg

Heather Rowan

Heather is the Presiding Administrative Law Judge at the Office of Administrative Hearings in General Jurisdiction. Much of her career has been focused on public service. She was Commission Counsel at the Fair Political Practices Commission where she provided advice and counsel regarding government ethics and campaign finance. Prior to that, Heather was in private practice. She earned a BA from UC Davis and JD from UC Davis King Hall School of Law. Heather is happy to serve her first term on SacLegal's board after decades of supporting from the sidelines. She and her partner and their dogs spend their free time outdoors, traveling, and consuming live music when possible.

Kristopher Lopez-Naquin

Kristopher Lopez is an Employment Attorney and school & workplace Investigator at Shaw Law Group, PC. Kris’s practice involves conducting impartial school and workplace investigations, providing advice and counsel to employers, conducting workplace audits, and preparing and delivering engaging and interactive workplace training. Before becoming an attorney, Kris served in the U.S. Coast Guard and worked in bars and retail. Kris is passionate about environmental and social justice causes, and enjoys baking, being out in nature with his husband and dog, and table-top games like Dungeons & Dragons.