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.

Board Member at Large

Elizabeth is a dedicated social worker with a deep commitment to social justice and holistic, client-centered advocacy. A Santa Cruz native, she returned to her hometown with a passion for serving the community that shaped her, particularly its most vulnerable members. Elizabeth earned her undergraduate degrees in Justice Studies and Sociology from San José State University and completed her Master’s in Clinical Social Work at the University of Texas, where she was a Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Collaboration Scholar. Her early career included direct service in child welfare in both Central Texas and Santa Cruz County, as well as conducting comprehensive case reviews for child welfare cases. These experiences gave her a deep understanding of the systemic challenges families face and inspired her to pursue broader, integrative approaches to support and advocacy. Her leadership and dedication were recognized in 2018, when she received the Texas Department of Family and Children’s Services Award of Distinction for Region 7, and again in 2019, when she completed the Leadership Challenge Program. Most recently, she graduated from the Bay Area Social Services Consortium Executive Development Program in 2024, where he capstone focused on strategies for social worker recruitment and retention in public welfare roles. Elizabeth currently serves as the Director of Holistic Defense at the Santa Cruz County Public Defender’s Office. In this role, she ensures that clients receive not only robust legal advocacy but also access to critical services such as mental health care, housing, and other community-based supports. She approaches her work with the belief that justice must consider the full context of a person’s life. Outside of her professional life, Elizabeth enjoys reading, spending time at the beach, and hiking in the redwoods—activities that keep her grounded and connected to the natural beauty of Santa Cruz, the region she calls home.