At Tuesday’s January 23, 2018, Board meeting, Christopher Gardner was appointed our next Public Defender. He will assume full responsibilities on April 1, 2018.Chris has been with the organization since 2006, first serving as the Chief Deputy over Human Services and then as my Assistant Public Defender for the past seven years. As the Assistant, he played a critical role in furthering the organization’s movement towards holistic representation, and he was instrumental in helping us to successfully move past the previous administration’s issues. As the Public Defender, he will continue to focus on doing what’s best for each individual client, while also working towards holistic defense and collaboration when possible. Another goal of his will be to focus inward to ensure we have proper systems in place to support and enhance our advocacy, and to expand client’s access to treatment, programs, and services.