Our Board of Directors

The Board ensures that NAPD is true to its mission, vision, goals, and values. The Board of Directors, working alongside all NAPD members, is working toward:

  • Securing revenue;
  • Growing membership;
  • Reinforcing NAPD’s mission, vision, goals, and values;
  • Creating a sustainable governance structure; and
  • Improving public defense throughout the nation.


The Board of Directors is led by an Executive Committee, which includes the Officers of the Board, the immediate Past-President, and two at-large members. The Executive Committee members are:

  • Elizabeth Miller (President), State Public Defender, Ohio Office of the Public Defender, Columbus, OH
  • Anthony Benedetti (Vice President), Chief Counsel, Committee for Public Counsel Services, Boston, MA
  • Cydni Sanchez (Immediate Past President), Deputy Chief Public Defender, New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender, Albuquerque, NM
  • La Mer Kyle-Griffiths (Secretary), Training Division Chief, Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office
  • Deepak Budwani (Treasurer), Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Santa Barbara County Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Keisha Hudson (Member at Large), Chief Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
  • Brendon Woods (Member at Large), Public Defender of Alameda County, Alameda County Public Defenders, Oakland, CA
Lorinda Youngcourt
Emily Hughes
Geoff Burkhart
Manohar Raju
Keeda Haynes
Cheryl Hughes Redd
Rebecca Yung
Dawne Mitchell
Darwin Hamilton
Sharone Mitchell
Terri Collins-Green
Greg Mermelstein
David Davilla
Arlene Anderson
  • Lorinda Youngcourt, Senior Litigator, Federal Defenders of Eastern Washington and Idaho
  • Emily Hughes, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Iowa College of Law, University of Iowa
  • Geoff Burkhart, County Executive Community Legal Services, Travis County, Texas
  • Manohar Raju, Public Defender, San Francisco Public Defender
  • Keeda Haynes, Keeda Haynes
  • Cheryl Hughes Redd, Digital Forensics Analyst Manager, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
  • Rebecca Yung, Assistant Public Defender, Concho Valley Public Defender’s Office
  • Dawne Mitchell, Chief Attorney, The Legal Aid Society
  • Darwin Hamilton, Director of Financial Management, State Office of Risk Management, Austin TX
  • Sharone Mitchell, Public Defender, Cook County Public Defender
  • Terri Collins-Green, Director of Social Work, Maryland Office of Public Defender
  • Greg Mermelstein, Deputy Director / General Counsel / Records Custodian, Missouri State Public Defender
  • David Davila, Chief Investigator, Federal Public Defender Western District of Texas
  • Arlene Anderson, Trainer, Maricopa County Office of the Public Defender