Graciela joins Sacramento Advocates, Inc., with more than 15 years of public service in the California government, most recently as Deputy Legislative Affairs Secretary to Governor Jerry Brown.

During her time serving the Brown Administration, Graciela negotiated, directly briefed, and advised the Governor on over 800 bills, and oversaw the regulatory implementation of legislation he chose to sign, including decriminalization of medicinal and adult-use cannabis, streamlining of forestry and landscape management practices to prevent future wildfires, and reforms catalyzing the development and construction of affordable and market-rate housing.

Graciela has an intimate knowledge of the complex, powerful, but often opaque state budgetary process through years spent working directly with California’s Department of Finance to shepherd the passage of policy and fiscal changes through subcommittees, conference committees, and the full legislature.