SABRINA ASHJIAN
Vice Chair
Sabrina Ashjian is the California State Director for the Humane Society of the United States. In 2018 she was appointed by Governor Brown to serve as the Chairperson for the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel. She is the founder of Ashjian Business Consulting and Sabrina’s Strategic Solutions. Previously Sabrina was a consumer fraud & environmental crimes prosecutor, pursuing cases against companies for predatory practices and environmental harms. She began her career as a public defender, serving in juvenile and adult courts as well as restorative programs including juvenile drug court, homeless court, welfare fraud diversion, and Veterans Stand Down.
In addition to Emerge California, Sabrina serves on the statewide non-profit boards of National Women’s Political Caucus of California, California Women Lawyers, and California Lawyers Association Environmental Section Executive Committee. In addition to this statewide work, she is on the regional non-profit boards of Central California Legal Services, Inc., Philanthropy Inspired by the Needs of our Community (PINC), the Fresno County Bar Association, and Fresno County Women Lawyers. She is also co-chair of California Women Lawyers Gender Equity Task Force.
Sabrina has broad public policy & legislative experience, having served on an environmental legislative subcommittee for the California District Attorney’s Association, Legislative Chair for California Women Lawyers, and Public Policy Vice Chair for National Women’s Political Caucus of California. In addition to working on legislative issues, she conducts trainings on the fundamentals of legislation and advocacy.
Sabrina received a Presidential Academic Scholarship to attend George Washington University, graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a secondary field in English. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Journalism and a JD/MBA from Pepperdine University. She received certificates from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution and the Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship & the Law. She is admitted to practice law in California, New York, and in the United States Supreme Court.