President
Dawn R. Forgeur, CCLS
Best Best & Krieger LLP
President@SacLPA.org
Dawn has been a legal secretary/practice assistant specializing in litigation for over 20 years. She was previously President of Sacramento LSA (2011-2013), Governor (2010-2012), Legal Secretary Training Co-Chair, Website Coordinator, and part of several other committees, including Budget Committee, Nominations and Elections Committee. Currently, she is Legal Professionals Incorporated’s (LPI) Tech Chair (2022-2024), and was previously the LPI Educational Program Coordinator (2020-2022), LPI’s Legal Specializations Sections Coordinator (2014-2019), and LPI’s Litigation Section Leader (2012-2014).
Vice President
Brenda Johnson, CCLS
Ogletree Deakins
VicePresident@SacLPA.org
Brenda has been a legal secretary for over 40 years. She served in the US Navy Reserves for eight years where she obtained her paralegal certificate. Brenda joined Sacramento LPA in 2014, and has served as Secretary, Vice-President, and President, and many committee positions. She is also a California Certified Legal Secretary (CCLS). Brenda has been a member of Legal Professionals Incorporated’s CCLS Certifying Board for the past four years, and the Chair for the past two years.
Secretary
Michelle Welch
Dreyer Babich
Secretary@SacLPA.org
Michelle has been a paralegal for over 20 years. She is currently working as a litigation paralegal for Dreyer Babich. Previously, she worked for Downey Brand in their Natural Resources Department, focused mainly on water regulation and adjudication. Michelle has spent most of her career as a paralegal working for the City Attorney’s Office in Oregon, working in the City’s civil litigation, labor relations and infrastructure departments. She has also worked as a Superfund administrator, Paralegal Manager, and Database Administrator. Earlier in her career, she worked extensively in business, bankruptcy and family law. Michelle earned a master degree in public administration. She also has undergraduate degrees in Criminology, Paralegal, Biology, and Graphic Design. Michelle earned her Certified Paralegal, CP designation from the national certification from the National Association of Legal Assistance.
Treasurer
Ron Ackland
California Advocate Management Services (“CAMS”)
Treasurer@SacLPA.org
Ron has worked in all areas of a law office including office services, reception, and records. He has over 15 years’ experience as a legal secretary/executive assistant in Corporate M&A, Pro-Bono, and Corporate Litigation. Previously from Beverly Hills Century City Legal Secretaries Association (BHCCLSA) he has served as their Vice President/Membership Chair (2017-2020), and Webmaster/Social Media Chair (2017-2022). He is currently Legal Professionals Incorporated’s Editor-in-Chief of The Legal Professional® magazine and was previously LPI Social Media Chair (2022-2024), LPI Advertising Chair (2020-2022), and Registrar of Delegates (2019 and 2020). In September 2019, Ron was presented with the BHCCLSA President’s Award and in 2022 with LPI’s Rising Star Award. Ron is currently employed with California Advocates Management Services (CAMS) where he serves as their Office Administrator.
Governor
Marci Frazier
Best Best & Krieger LLP
Governor@SacLPA.org
Marci is a civil and bankruptcy litigation secretary at Best Best & Krieger LLP. She has worked in the legal field for 30+ years, and throughout her career, has held several positions including Paralegal, Office Manager, and Legal Secretary. She has been a member of Sacramento LPA since 2015 and has had the honor of serving as Executive Advisor, Treasurer, Vice President, and President of Sacramento LPA.
Parliamentarian
Dawn Willis
Downey Brand
Parliamentarian@SacLPA.org
Having worked in the legal field since 1979, Dawn has enjoyed working as a legal secretary at Downey Brand LLP since 2003. She became a member of Sacramento LPA in 1980 and is very thankful for the years of unity, stimulation, education, and networking. Within Sacramento LPA, Dawn has held the offices of Vice President, President, Parliamentarian, and Secretary.
Executive Advisor
Lynne Prescott, CCLS
Messing Adam & Jasmine
ExecutiveAdvisor@SacLPA.org
Lynne is a legal secretary with the office of Messing Adam & Jasmine LLP, a labor and employment law firm in Sacramento. She has been a member of Sacramento LPA since 2004, and formerly served as its President from 2013-2015 and 2022-2024. She has also served as the president of Legal Professionals, Incorporated from 2020-2022.
Past Presidents
| Edna Losser Minze | 1940-41 |
| Gloria Soares Massi | 1941-43 |
| Fern Alameda | 1943-45 |
| Velma Tougaw | 1945-46 |
| Shari Shannon | 1946 ** |
| Margaret F. Purcell | 1946-48 |
| Mavis Brown | 1948-49 |
| Marie D. Stevenson | 1949-50 |
| Katherine Scheetz | 1950-51 |
| Freda Goodwin Collier | 1951-53 |
| Sophronia G. Brigance | 1953-54 |
| Lorena Wangsgaard | 1954-55 |
| Atha Whalen | 1955-56 |
| Julia Dominguez | 1956-57 |
| Bette J. White | 1957-58 |
| Marie Fleckenstein | 1958-59 |
| Doris Thomas | 1959-60 |
| Patricia Elsesser | 1960-61 |
| Shirley Godfrey | 1961-62 |
| Margery Lodi Edmonds | 1962-63 |
| Freda Goodwin Collier | 1963-64 |
| Jacqueline A. Goldsmith | 1964-65 |
| Joan Cossick | 1965-66 |
| Gloria Soares Massi | 1966-67 |
| Anna Gainsley | 1967-69 |
| Hazel Allenbach | 1969-70 |
| Doris Vota | 1970-72 |
| Atha Whalen | 1972-73 |
| Alma Pritchard | 1973-74 |
| Barbara Butler | 1974-75 |
| Catherine L. Stroh | 1975-77 |
| Diana Penny | 1977-78 |
| Marvelene Breech | 1978-80 |
| Elizabeth Wilson | 1980-82 |
| Jane R. Schluter | 1982-84 |
| Teresa Mironchik | 1984-86 |
| Jacquelyn Ferguson | 1986-88 |
| Judy Ramey | 1988-90 |
| Paula Hefley, CCLS (Grenz) | 1990-91 |
| Linda Partmann | 1991-93 |
| Tamara Martin | 1993-94 |
| Barbara Dilling | 1994-96 |
| Sherri Lee Caplette, CCLS | 1996-98 |
| Debbie Frias, CCLS | 1998-00 |
| Mary-Ann Andrews | 2000-02 |
| Janice M. Ainsworth | 2002-04 |
| Leesa R. Estey, CCLS | 2004 |
| Dawn Willis | 2004-05** |
| Astrid B. Furstner, CCLS | 2005-07 |
| Cyrene Farrell, CCLS | 2007-08 |
| Elicia Allen, CCLS | 2008-09 |
| Jennifer Rotz | 2009-10 |
| Astrid B. Furstner, CCLS | 2010-11 |
| Dawn R. Forgeur, CCLS | 2011-13 |
| Lynne Prescott, CCLS | 2013-15 |
| Crystal Rivera | 2015-17 |
| Brenda Bracy, CCLS | 2017-20 |
| Marci Frazier | 2020-22 |
| Lynne Prescott, CCLS | 2022-24 |
** Finished incomplete term