Jason Lane is senior vice president, director of government relations for the California Bankers Association and manages California state tax policy for the association, which involves analyzing legislation and regulatory activity, and the development of policy positions for the association. Lane is one of three lobbyists at CBA and, in addition to his primary focus on taxation, he also lobbies on behalf of the association on issues related to the state budget, and consumer lending legislation. Lane has significant expertise in handling legislative issues including taxation, data security, identity theft, and housing.

Before joining CBA in May 2006, Jason Lane served as director of government affairs for Providian Financial and managed the bank’s financial privacy compliance program, as well as tracked and analyzed the impact of federal legislation and rulemaking for the company.

Melanie Cuevas serves as the vice president of government relations for the California Bankers Association, where her advocacy portfolio focuses mainly on issues related to cannabis, debt collection, labor and employment, political reform, privacy, and agricultural, student and military lending.

Prior to joining CBA in 2019, Ms. Cuevas began her foray into government relations work in 2015 with the firm Gonzalez, Quintana, Hunter & Cruz, LLC, after serving as a legislative aide in both the California State Senate and Assembly. Preceding her work in the Legislature, she worked in news media, serving as Editor of Dandelion Magazine, which caters to families living with special needs. Dandelion won prestigious PMA awards for Overall Writing and General Excellence during her tenure with the magazine.

Ms. Cuevas graduated with a degree in journalism and marketing from San Francisco State University, during which time she also coached competitive cheerleading teams. After graduation, she spent four years dancing professionally, including with the Oakland Raiderettes, an internationally recognized public relations team, where she participated in philanthropic events, performances associated with the National Football League, community workshops, and media appearances on the local, national, and international levels.

This well-rounded history allows Ms. Cuevas to seamlessly adapt to the evolving and diverse political landscape in California and to provide CBA’s member banks with excellent customer service and effective representation.

Vanessa Lugo serves as senior legislative advocate for the California Bankers Association (CBA). Her advocacy portfolio includes housing, economic development, labor and employment, trust and estate, public contracts, and corporate governance.

Before joining CBA, Vanessa worked for the California State Legislature, representing the most competitive district in the state and the Majority Leader of the California State Assembly. During her tenure in the legislature, her portfolio included agriculture, government and organization, banking and finance, economic development, insurance, and other issues.

Most recently she spent 12 years in government relations, working for Check Into Cash and Equifax. Vanessa graduated from CSU Sacramento with a degree in English and a minor in Political Science.