President

Lisa is an accomplished trial lawyer and dedicated public defender who has practiced criminal law exclusively since 1993, handling cases at all stages of litigation and representing clients from many different walks of life. Lisa is currently the Felony Supervisor at the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender where she leads a team of defenders who represent people charged with crimes. Lisa is a founding member of the BRIDGE Foundation.

Vice President

Athena has been zealously advocating for the indigent accused as a public defender since 2010. Athena is currently the Chief Deputy Public Defender at the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender where she leads the Legal Division and co-leads an agency dedicated to providing client-centered holistic defense. Athena is a founding member of the BRIDGE Foundation.

Treasurer

Michelle is an accomplished public defender with extensive experience defending clients accused of delinquency and criminal offenses ranging from misdemeanors to homicide. Michelle is currently the Collateral Consequences & Reentry Supervisor at the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender, where she leads a unit that helps clients understand the true consequences of criminal convictions, including impacts on immigration and licensing, clears obstacles to success through record clearance, and offers reentry support, including post-conviction relief and supportive services. Michelle is a founding member of the BRIDGE Foundation.

Secretary

Suzanne is a talented administrator who has dedicated her career to uplifting our most vulnerable community members. Suzanne is currently a Senior Administrative Analyst at the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender, where she supports the department with grants, budgets, and data analysis. Before that, Suzanne was the Chief Development and Marketing Officer for Second Harvest Food Bank. Suzanne has her Masters of Public Administration from the Monterey Institute of International Studies (now known as Middlebury Institute) and is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Suzanne is a founding member of the BRIDGE Foundation.