Jeannine Pacioni
Jeannine M. Pacioni has served as the Monterey County District Attorney since 2018. She is the first female District Attorney for Monterey County. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, San Diego School of Law. She began her career in 1990 as a Deputy District Attorney for Kern County and in 1992 joined the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. During her career, she has prosecuted many types of crimes, including murder, vehicular manslaughter, gang crimes, sexual assault and elder abuse. She has served on many boards including the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, Monterey County Children’s Council, Child Abuse Council, and is a founding member of the Monterey County Multi-Cultural Community Council, just to name a few. She was recognized by the Monterey County Women Lawyers Association as the 2019 recipient of the Lady Justice Lifetime Award for Legal Advocacy and Community Service.
Lana Nassoura
Lana Nassoura has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She has been with the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office since February 2015. Lana is an Assistant District Attorney who supervises the Felony Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit, the Juvenile Unit, and the Truancy Unit. During her career at the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, she has prosecuted many serious cases including murder, child and adult sexual assault, child abuse, domestic violence, general felonies, driving under the influence, and hate crimes. She serves as a board member for the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center and the Monterey County Bar Association. She is also a member of the Monterey County Superior Court Elimination of Bias Committee and the Monterey County Women Lawyers Association.
Laura Zehm
Laura Zehm is currently the owner of Zehlm LZ, LLC. She has a Bachelor’s from Western Illinois University and a Master’s from Golden Gate University. She has over 39 years of experience as a finance professional in health care. Most of her career, she was a Chief Financial Officer or a Chief Executive Officer. She is committed to developing a better health care delivery that is in the best interest of patients, one where the improved health of the community is a priority and costs are lowered. Throughout her career, she has served on many boards, including the City of Carmel Mayors Task Force, California Hospital Association, and Sunset Cultural Center.
Alma Sanchez
Alma Sanchez is the current Victim Witness Assistance Program Manager for the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. She began her career in Monterey County in 2000, when she was hired as a Legal Secretary. In 2005, she became a Victim Advocate assigned to the sexual assault unit, where she supported adult victims of sexual assault, human trafficking and child victims of physical and sexual assault. She has expertise in overseeing budgets and grant writing. She assisted with the implementation of the Courthouse Dog Program in Monterey County and continues to be a co-handler for the facility dogs, Odie and Norma Jeane. She is a member of the Child Abuse Response Team, Sexual Assault Response Team, and the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council.
Roselyn M. Artellan
Roselyn M. Artellan is currently the Director of Operations for PM Landscaping and Head of Operations for the Monterey County Motorsports Festival. Roselyn is committed to helping the community and making a difference. She is involved with many organizations in Monterey County, such as Monterey County Fairgrounds Heritage Foundation, Boys and Girls Club of Monterey County, Youth Jazz Education Program, Salvation Army Monterey Peninsula Corps, Monterey County Family and Children’s Services Holiday Giving Project and KION TV PM Landscaping Service Company Santa Toy Drive.
Dennis J. Alexander
Dennis J. Alexander grew up in Milwaukee, WI and received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He moved to the Monterey area in 1990 to study at the Middlebury Institute of International Relations at Monterey, where he received his MBA. A resident of Seaside since 1996, he was elected to the Seaside City Council for two terms, ending in 2018. Dennis is a retired teacher and reserve police officer. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Philippines, and his local community volunteer experience includes Rebuilding Together Monterey-Salinas, the American Red Cross, Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, Monterey County AIDS Project, and Monterey County Rape Crisis Center.
Adrienne Laurent
Adrienne Laurent has been dedicated to strategic communication in both healthcare and journalism. Most recently, she served as the Chief Strategic Communications Officer at Salinas Valley Health, where she led diverse teams responsible for internal and external communication initiatives including marketing, media relations, employee communication, government and board relations. Additionally, Adrienne was responsible for overseeing the Mobile Health Clinic, Volunteer Services, and Health Promotion, furthering the organization’s mission to enhance community health. Prior to joining Salinas Valley Health in 2002, Adrienne spent 23 years in journalism, serving as a television news anchor, reporter, and news director. She has also contributed to academia as a faculty member at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and she was a member of the national advisory board for Associated Press Broadcast. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Adrienne is deeply committed to her community, having served on the boards of Big Sur Land Trust, Hartnell College Foundation, Central Coast YMCA, and the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Violet Giovannini
Violet Giovannini brings a wealth of experience in public relations, business development, and nonprofit leadership, along with a deeply personal commitment to supporting survivors and families affected by violence. As a survivor and the mother of Leilani Beauchamp, who was tragically murdered in 2021, Violet has dedicated herself to advocating for victims and ensuring that families receive the resources and support they need to heal. With an extensive background in marketing, networking, and event management, Violet has worked with various nonprofits, serving in leadership roles that emphasize community outreach, program development, and advocacy. Her expertise in branding, strategic partnerships, and public engagement aligns with the Family Justice Center's mission to create collaborative service models for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking. Violet’s passion for justice and her professional skills make her a strong asset to the Family Justice Center of Monterey County. She is committed to leveraging her experience to support families, advocate for survivors, and contribute to the ongoing efforts of the FJC to provide safety, hope, and healing.
Dr. Susan Swick
Susan Swick, MD, MPH is the executive director of Ohana, a center for child and adolescent behavioral health at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Dr. Swick is designing and building the clinical programs at Ohana, which will include crisis stabilization and outpatient treatment as well as education and wellness programming in partnership with community institutions. Before moving to the Monterey Peninsula in 2018, Dr. Swick served as the chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at Newton Wellesley Hospital for five years. While there, she created a community health initiative called “The Resilience Project,” to promote the mental health and well-being of youth and their families. She was an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she created and ran a course on parent guidance for the child psychiatry fellows. Dr. Swick graduated from medical school at Columbia University in New York, where she also completed an internship and residency. She completed fellowships at Harvard Medical School and New York University. She is board-certified in psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and forensic psychiatry.
Karen Grant
Karen Grant is a Monterey native. She received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Southern California and her Juris Doctor at Monterey College of Law. She worked as a Deputy District Attorney in Monterey County and then became house counsel for an insurance and real estate firm. She was a talk-show radio host both locally and in Detroit. Her local show covered topics of the day and featured many national guests. She is currently working in property management and real estate appraisals. Karen has served on many boards, some of which include: Breast Cancer Assistance Group, Los Amigos/ Monterey history and art, Shelter Outreach Plus, PAC Rep theater, and Monterey College of Law alumni.