Team
Kyla Christoffersen Powell
President and CEO
Since May 2019, Kyla has led CJAC, the state’s foremost civil liability reform advocate on behalf of businesses in the legislature, courts, and regulatory arenas.
Prior to joining CJAC, she was senior legal counsel at AT&T for nearly a decade, her work spanning CA legislative and external affairs, product development, and data privacy. Kyla was also a lobbyist for CalChamber on legal reform and taxation. Early in her career, she defended private and public employers in court on labor and employment matters.
Jaime Huff
Vice President and Counsel, Public Policy
Jaime joined CJAC as its chief lobbyist in October 2020.
Jaime previously served in roles as a legislative advocate and then political director for Southern California Edison in Sacramento. She was a manager of federal affairs for Edison International in Washington, DC. Prior to that, she was a chief of staff in the California legislature and a legislative correspondent on Capitol Hill.
Jaime is admitted to the California Bar and earned her law degree from Baylor University and her BA in political science from American University.
Fred J. Hiestand
General Counsel
Fred has nearly 30 years of appellate experience. He participates in oral arguments before the state Supreme Court in cases where CJAC has filed an amicus brief and is consulted by appellate attorneys preparing cases for argument. Fred has served as counsel to the California Legislature’s Joint Committee on Tort Liability, the Assembly’s Select Committee on Medical Malpractice, and to former California Governor Jerry Brown on medical liability.
He is a graduate of the University of California’s Boalt Hall School of Law and admitted to the California Bar.
Lucy Chinkezian
Counsel
Lucy brings to her CJAC role nearly five years of civil litigation experience including in the areas of labor and employment and disability access laws.
She also worked in the California Legislature as an intern with the Assembly Judiciary Committee and as a legislative aide in Senator Portantino’s office.
Lucy is admitted to the California Bar and has a graduate of UC Davis School of Law and UC Berkeley with a BA in political science. She is fluent in Spanish and Armenian.
Susan Loscotoff
Director, Finance and Operations
Susan initially joined CJAC as legislative aide in 2018 and parlayed this experience and her diverse background in compliance and finance to take on her current role.
She worked as a compliance coordinator in the high-tech space and garnered experience in office management and financial operations with a Sacramento law firm. Susan also interned for the State Legislature’s Senate Caucus Communications Department.
She has a BA in criticism and public communications from Sacramento State.
Natalie Bruton-Yenovkian
Consultant, Political Affairs
Natalie has extensive experience in political strategy and fundraising for California statewide, legislative, and local races, and her clientele includes various elected officials and the California Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation.
Natalie previously served as Special Projects Manager for California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones.
She has a BA in English and Political Science from UC Davis and an MA in Intercultural Communication from University of the Pacific.