Rachel
Michelin
President + CEO
California Retailers Association
Rachel Michelin is President and CEO of the California Retailers Association (CRA), the most significant voice representing the retail industry in California’s public policy arena, at the State Capitol, in City Halls and with regulatory bodies across one of the most regulated states in the country and one of the most significant markets for retailers.
Rachel leadership and relationships with the legislature and the Governor’s office resulted in ensuring the Organized Retail Crime Taskforces remain operational when there was a threat of their dissolution. In addition, not only did Rachel ensure the ORC taskforces remained, she also negotiated with the Governor’s office an additional $300 million in the State Budget to expand the taskforces from 3 to 5, dedicated prosecutors for each task force, local law enforcement grants to combat retail theft and other resources for prosecutors and DA’s to battle the growing problem of retail crime/ORC.
Rachel has received several awards throughout her tenure as head of the California Retailers Association. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles County Business Federation’s 2023 Business Makes LA County Work Award (the Bizzis). Rachel’s 2023 BizFed award follows her recognition by BizFed’s in 2021 with their Getting it Done Award. Rachel also received the Advocacy All-Star Award in 2022 from the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR) recognizing her work and partnership to combat Organized Retail Crime and Retail Theft in California. In 2024, Rachel was recognized by the Sacramento Business Journal with the “Women Who Mean Business” Award for her leadership for the retail industry in at the State Capitol and throughout the state.
Rachel served on the California State Board of Optometry from 2014 - 2019 as an appointee of Former Governor Jerry Brown. She also served as an appointee of Governor Schwarzenegger to the Private Security Disciplinary Review Committee and was re-appointed by Governor Brown.
Rachel leadership and relationships with the legislature and the Governor’s office resulted in ensuring the Organized Retail Crime Taskforces remain operational when there was a threat of their dissolution. In addition, not only did Rachel ensure the ORC taskforces remained, she also negotiated with the Governor’s office an additional $300 million in the State Budget to expand the taskforces from 3 to 5, dedicated prosecutors for each task force, local law enforcement grants to combat retail theft and other resources for prosecutors and DA’s to battle the growing problem of retail crime/ORC.
Rachel has received several awards throughout her tenure as head of the California Retailers Association. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles County Business Federation’s 2023 Business Makes LA County Work Award (the Bizzis). Rachel’s 2023 BizFed award follows her recognition by BizFed’s in 2021 with their Getting it Done Award. Rachel also received the Advocacy All-Star Award in 2022 from the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR) recognizing her work and partnership to combat Organized Retail Crime and Retail Theft in California. In 2024, Rachel was recognized by the Sacramento Business Journal with the “Women Who Mean Business” Award for her leadership for the retail industry in at the State Capitol and throughout the state.
Rachel served on the California State Board of Optometry from 2014 - 2019 as an appointee of Former Governor Jerry Brown. She also served as an appointee of Governor Schwarzenegger to the Private Security Disciplinary Review Committee and was re-appointed by Governor Brown.