As the former chief of the California Office of Privacy Protection, Joanne McNabb has been front and center for some of the United States' most meaningful advances in privacy legislation. She was involved in the first U.S. state breach notice law, SB 1386, which became the de facto model for most subsequent U.S. state and territory breach notice laws. In fact, she wrote the first breach notice ever (before the law had even taken effect). It was for the breach of state employee data that inspired the legislation.

Under her leadership from 2001 to 2012, Joanne's office continued to research consumer privacy issues and weigh in on additional privacy laws for California. Many of these laws became models for other states, and in many ways, federal regulations emerging during that time.

When Joanne became Director of Privacy Education and Policy for the California Department of Justice, she created an entirely new online resource. Yet again, her efforts set the stage for the development of the many important privacy rights, laws and awareness websites and digital resources that exist today.

In 2017, Joanne retired from state service. Today, she is a consultant for California Privacy Consultants, providing a variety of organizations with research and recommendations on privacy issues and practices.

Considering the consumer privacy rights, education and legal protection trails she blazed, Joanne is a privacy hero to so many. The impact of her passion and effort expands far beyond California, throughout the U.S., and in other parts of the world that have often looked to California for examples of privacy education and legal protections.