Leadership, Innovation, and Service Take Center Stage at Graduation Ceremony

ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia Public Defender Council (GPDC) celebrated the graduation of 21 public defenders from its Leadership Academy Class of 2025–2026, marking the completion of a rigorous nine-month professional development program designed to strengthen leadership across Georgia’s indigent defense system.

Held May 22 at the University of Georgia’s Georgia Center for Continuing Education, the ceremony brought together graduates, family members, agency leaders, alumni, and partners from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government to recognize a cohort whose work reflects GPDC’s ongoing investment in its employees, clients, and communities throughout Georgia.

“This is just the beginning,” GPDC Executive Director Omotayo B. Alli told graduates. “We are building a place of professional development and leadership. We want our attorneys to grow, to lead, and to have the tools they need to make a difference wherever their careers take them.”

The Leadership Academy, now in its third year, was created to prepare mid-career public defenders for expanded leadership responsibilities while strengthening retention, innovation, and collaboration across GPDC’s statewide network of offices. Developed in partnership with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, the program combines leadership theory, self-assessment, strategic planning, communication, emotional intelligence, and team-based problem solving.

For participants, the experience extended far beyond traditional professional training.

“Leadership isn’t a title or a promotion,” graduate Angelo Dodys said during the ceremony. “Leadership is influence, responsibility, and the willingness to step forward even when you’re not sure you’re ready.”

## Turning Ideas Into Solutions

A hallmark of the Academy is its capstone project component, which challenges participants to develop practical solutions to real-world challenges facing Georgia’s public defense system.

This year’s graduates developed five innovative proposals focused on improving services for clients, strengthening workforce development, and expanding statewide resources.

Projects included:

<li>A comprehensive statewide database of legal resources, templates, experts, and best practices.</li> <li>A Juvenile Life Without Parole (JLWOP/SB 440) Unit to support specialized representation for youth facing the most serious sentences.</li> <li>A statewide social worker pipeline connecting colleges and universities with public defender offices.</li> <li>An accountability court and pet sanctuary partnership designed to support rehabilitation through animal care and training.</li> <li>A mentorship program to strengthen recruitment, retention, and professional development for public defenders.</li>

The winning project proposed a specialized statewide unit focused on children charged as adults and facing potential life-without-parole sentences. The proposal highlighted the need for developmentally informed representation, mitigation expertise, and statewide consistency in some of Georgia’s most serious juvenile cases.

Following the presentation, Alli announced that GPDC’s recently established multidisciplinary developmental-informed defense initiative, led by Youth Advocacy Division Director Gayle Bacon Murray, provides an immediate pathway for incorporating elements of the graduates’ recommendations.

“The work these teams produced demonstrates exactly why this Academy matters,” Alli said. “Our employees are not only identifying challenges—they are creating solutions.”

## Preserving Humanity in Public Defense

The ceremony’s keynote address, delivered by Dr. Daniel Gibbs of the University of Georgia School of Social Work, focused on the importance of human connection in public service leadership.

Speaking on the theme “Preserving Humanity in Public Defense Leadership,” Gibbs challenged graduates to protect and promote what he described as the uniquely human aspects of legal advocacy: empathy, listening, trust, and authentic relationships.

“People are more than the worst thing they’ve ever done,” Gibbs said. “The ability to connect, listen, and advocate as human beings remains one of the most powerful tools we have.”

Drawing on research from law, social work, and organizational leadership, Gibbs encouraged graduates to create workplace cultures that value collaboration, mentorship, and meaningful engagement with clients and colleagues.

His message resonated deeply with participants whose work often places them alongside people experiencing some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

## Building Leaders for Georgia’s Future

The graduation ceremony also featured reflections from Leadership Academy alumni and members of the graduating class, many of whom described the experience as transformative.

Participants spoke about the value of building relationships with colleagues from across the state, gaining new perspectives on leadership, and developing a stronger understanding of how to support both clients and coworkers.

Graduate Daveniya Fisher described the Academy as “the best training” she had experienced in her professional career.

“This program has wings,” Fisher said. “It’s going to change the defense bar. The bar has been raised, and I’m committed to helping lift it even higher.”

Alumni speakers echoed those sentiments, emphasizing how the Academy continues to influence their leadership years after graduation. They encouraged graduates to remain connected, seek mentorship, support one another, and continue finding innovative ways to strengthen public defense in Georgia.

## Investing in Excellence

The Leadership Academy represents a broader commitment by GPDC to invest in the people who serve Georgia’s courts, communities, and Constitution every day.

Under Alli’s leadership, GPDC has expanded training opportunities, strengthened professional development pathways, increased statewide collaboration, and worked to improve recruitment and retention throughout the public defense system.

By equipping attorneys with leadership skills, strategic thinking, and opportunities to innovate, the Academy helps ensure that Georgia’s public defenders are prepared not only to meet today’s challenges but also to shape the future of justice in the state.

As graduates received their certificates and individually written notes from Academy faculty, they were reminded that leadership is measured not by position, but by impact.

Their collective closing message captured the spirit of the program. Using the letters in the word “LEADERSHIP,” graduates defined the qualities they hope to carry forward:

Listen. Empathy. Approachable. Dedication. Ethical. Respectful. Supportive. Humility. Innovative. Public Defenders.

For GPDC, those qualities represent more than leadership principles. They represent an ongoing commitment to serving clients, strengthening communities, and protecting constitutional rights across Georgia.

<h3>Leadership Academy Class of 2025–2026</h3>

Kaitlyn Beck • Elizabeth Boswell • Alexandria Clark • Jess Clifton • TaMisha Cooke • Jennifer Cooley • Mary Dayton • Katherine Dodd • Angelo Dodys • David Douds • Daveniya Fisher • Avis Hornsby-Culpepper • Allen Knox • Meredith McCarrey • Heather McLeod • Chloe Napier • Elizabeth Parks • Hannah Rondon • Andrada Steele • LeeAnne Strohmann • Jala Tomlinson