“I grew up in the grandstands and I grew up in a civil service family active in labor associations, it was only natural to be drawn to the race track and become involved in CSLEA.” – Carol Nolan, CSLEA Site Rep, CAFI Vice President, CHRB Lead Investigator

As a Lead Investigator with the California Horse Racing Board, Carol Nolan works days, nights, holidays and weekends combating crime in and around horse racing tracks in Northern California. From the welfare of the animals to the safety of those who attend the race tracks, Nolan investigates crimes that involve weapons, drugs and organized crime.

“We deal with a migrant population, that is, groups of people who travel with these million dollar horses and we need to be sure everyone, and every horse is safe and secure while they are at the tracks,” said Nolan.

Investigator Nolan graduated from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) in 1990 with B.A. in Criminal Justice. She began her service with the State of California that same year when she was hired as an Office Assistant with the Employment Development Department’s Business Services Division.

In 1991, she promoted to Special Investigator working criminal and administrative investigations with the Federal Office of the Inspector General. She then transferred to California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) in 1994 as a Senior Special Investigator, working “undercover” criminal and administrative investigations. For 10 years, beginning in 1999, Nolan was assigned to the ABC training unit teaching the Department’s “Responsible Beverage Service Program- LEAD” to ABC licensees. In 2009, Nolan became the Lead Investigator with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB).

“These horses are the Lance Armstrong’s of the world,” said Nolan. “We get involved anytime we have a horse test positive for something it shouldn’t have, a horse that has died from something other than natural causes, if a horse has been injured. We deal with all things criminal at the track.”

Nolan became active as a association site rep in 1994 when CSLEA was CAUSE, in order to assist fellow members with various labor issues in the workplace. In 1997 she became president of the CAUSE affiliate, California Association of State Investigators (now California Association of Beverage Control Agents- CABCA) and served on the then-CAUSE Board of Directors. Nolan is currently the president of the CHRB Investigators Association and vice president of the CSLEA affiliate, California Association of Fraud Investigators (CAFI).

“I come from a family of civil servants and both my parents were job stewards,” said Nolan. “Being active in CSLEA and CAFI allows me to go to management, talk about issues and solve them instead of filing grievances. I have been able to have really good relationships with the departments, working together instead of against each other.”

“We are so fortunate to have Carol Nolan as an active member and affiliate board member,” said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona. “She is a positive force and knows how to get things done. I thank her for understanding the strength behind labor associations and the importance of getting involved.”

Not just involved, but emotionally attached! “I love the job I have, I love the team of law enforcement officers I work with, I love the horse racing community,” said Nolan. “I like being a part of the industry and a part of something that is a huge business in the State of California.”