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 (2022-2026), and was previously the LPI Educational Program Coordinator (2020-2022), LPI’s Legal Specialization 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
Mary Taylor
Downey Brand
Secretary@SacLPA.org
Mary has been a legal secretary since 1980, completing her Legal Assistant AA in 1994, then worked in Shasta County as a Paralegal and Contract Paralegal in Probate and Conservatorships, Personal Injury Insurance Defense, Workers’ Compensation, and Information Technology. As a member of Redding Legal Secretaries Assn., she served as Treasurer 1983-1986, was awarded Legal Secretary of the Year in 1986, served as President 1987-88, Co-Chaired Annual Conference 1989, and assisted on or chaired several other committees, including Ways and Means, Budget, Programs, Scholarship, Day-in-Court, and Boss of the Year. Mary has been employed in civil litigation with Downey Brand LLP since her move to Sacramento in 2005. She joined Capitol City LSA, and then transferred to Sacramento LSA in early 2006, and was awarded August 2006 Star of the Month by President of SLSA.
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
Lynne Prescott, CCLS
Messing Adam & Jasmine
Governor@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.
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
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 |
| Dawn Forgeur, CCLS | 2024-25 |
** Finished incomplete term