DEFENDER ASSOCIATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Manager, LEAD Seattle King County
Aaron Burkhalter (he/him) works close to his home and heart as the LEAD Project Manager in Burien and White Center.
As an eight-year resident of Burien, he is personally invested in improving public safety and the lives of Burien residents through the harm reduction model. Aaron also helped launch the LEAD program in Unincorporated King County (White Center) in 2019. He loves how LEAD brings people together from different industries who have different beliefs to move together toward a common community goal.
Prior to joining PDA, Aaron had a 15-year career in community journalism with an emphasis on social justice, homelessness, and equity. Aaron worked around Oregon and Washington as a reporter and editor for Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project, the South Seattle Emerald and the Seattle Globalist. As an editor, Aaron emphasized mentorship with emerging journalists. Aaron has won multiple regional Society for Professional Journalist awards and best cultural coverage from the International Network of Street Papers.
Outside of LEAD, Aaron is a foster parent, musician and gardener. Aaron graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in psychology and from the University of Oregon with a M.S. in journalism.
Job Titles:
- Director of Reentry
- Senior Participant Support Specialist, CoLEAD
As a Director of Reentry, Andrea has been responsible for building and overseeing Community Passageways reentry program and ensuring that clients receive the support needed to successfully reintegrate back into society. She's deeply committed to promoting social justice and equity in the community and advocates for equitable policies that address systemic barriers that marginalized communities face.
Andrea's 20+ years of lived experience and successful reintegration back into the community makes her relatable to her clients, giving them hope and pathways to their own success. She brings a wealth of case management experience to those who have been incarcerated, displaced, and are experiencing homelessness. She has also helped families navigate systems which have historically created barriers.
Andrea's expertise is not limited. She has a college education and several certifications geared towards trauma-informed care, which includes: Multisystemic Therapy, Certified Peer Support Counselor, De-escalation Specialist, Mediation Specialist, and many more.
Her passion for this work stems from witnessing marginalized communities' needs being unmet. Andrea dedicates her time to advocate for those who are seemingly invisible in the eyes of society. In her free time, she co-facilitates weekly healing circles around King County.
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
- Communications Specialist at PDA
Ashley Archibald is the communications specialist at PDA. She comes to the role with 10 years of experience in journalism, including six years as the staff reporter and then editor at Real Change, Seattle's weekly street newspaper. She is excited to tell stories about the PDA's work and promises to respond to reporters promptly because she knows how it goes.
Job Titles:
- LEAD Program Director, Snohomish County
Ashley was born and raised in Montana and received her Bachelor's Degree in Human Development from Montana State University in 2003; she then made her way to Washington and graduated in 2009 from Eastern Washington University with a Master's of Social Work degree and certificate in Public Administration.
Ashley is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) with a passion for trauma-informed care. With experience as a grant writer, program creator, leader, mentor, navigator, therapist, and educator, Ashley brings an array of skills to her position. She recognizes that collaboration is a major key to success and is regularly building innovative connections with local groups to remove barriers and provide clients with comprehensive, supportive care to meet their individual needs.
Prior to her work with LEAD, Ashley was a school social worker for 7 1/2 years and helped to create the Student Support Advocate program that is now replicated in several school districts across Snohomish County to hire trained staff to provide comprehensive support to students and families in crisis. Most recently, Ashley served for three years as a social worker on a co-response team with two police departments. It was there she truly recognized the crucial role of first responders and the importance of building a strong and respectful relationship between law enforcement and social services providers. Ashley was a key player in the Cops & Clergy program where she assisted several communities of faith in creating structure, understanding and hope around their service to people in need.
Ashley is a member of Alderwood Terrace Rotary Club and on the boards of Washington Kids in Transition and Jean Kim Foundation.
Barb is a Seattle native, having lived in Seattle since the age of 13 years old.
Barb is the second youngest of a large 7-sibling family who all live in the PNW. Barb graduated from the University of Washington, earning a bachelor's degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Accounting. Barb spent 10 years at Weyerhaeuser working in their real estate division. After leaving Weyerhaeuser, Barb held various positions in publicly traded companies in accounting and management roles and eventually made her way to King County where she worked for 3 1/2 years as the finance manager of the DCHS Behavioral Health and Recovery Division. Barb has experience and acumen in accounting, managing teams, and social services, which are important assets she brings to PDA.
Barb has two beautiful children: Laurence, a graduate of Washington State University and now working in the wealth management industry at Merrill Lynch; Julia, a graduate of Central Washington University and working in the journalism sector. Both are the center of Barb's world.
Barb is also an animal advocate and has been very involved in rescue for many, many years. Barb's hobbies and interests include hiking, travel (especially international), spending time with her friends and family, and reading.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director
- Deputy Director at PDA
Brandi McNeil (she/her) is Deputy Director at PDA. She directs the LEAD/CoLEAD Legal Services Program, provides legal representation to LEAD clients, advocates for criminal legal system reform, and coordinates the operations of PDA's legal services.
Brandi is committed to a world where the legal system actually makes the community safer. To that end, Brandi serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Legal Counsel for Youth and Children (LCYC), a nonprofit that protects the interests and safety of youth in Washington through direct legal representation, strong community partnerships, and systemic advocacy.
Before joining PDA, Brandi fought for criminal legal system change as Senior Legal Counsel with The Justice Collaborative. Before engaging in advocacy work, she was a public defender, serving as a Staff Attorney at Orleans Public Defenders for nearly four years. While with the Orleans Public Defenders, Brandi primarily represented children accused of crimes in adult and juvenile court but also represented adults charged with serious felonies.
Before joining the Orleans Public Defenders, Brandi participated in the E. Barrett Prettyman Fellowship Program as the Juvenile Fellow. As a Fellow, she represented juveniles and adults charged with misdemeanors and felonies and supervised third-year law students in the Juvenile Justice Clinic.
Brandi received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Wheaton College in Illinois, a Masters in Social Work and J.D. from New York University, and an LL.M in Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center.
Brandi is a long-suffering Chicago Bears fan. She enjoys playing soccer and softball in her rec league and going to farmer's markets with her wife and wild pandemic baby.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor With the State University of New York
- Director of Policing Strategies at the LEAD Support Bureau
- Director of Policing Strategies, LEAD Support Bureau
Chief (Ret.) Brendan Cox is the Director of Policing Strategies at the LEAD Support Bureau where he provides strategic guidance on the operation of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion/Let Everyone Advance with Dignity to jurisdictions around the world. Brendan comes to the Support Bureau after a twenty-three-year career with the Albany, New York police department, where he retired as Chief of Police in 2017.
Brendan has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Dayton and a Master of Public Administration from Marist College. He is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police. He is a member of the New York State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group and was appointed to the New York Governor's Workgroup to Draft Legislation for Regulated Adult-Use Marijuana Program in 2018.
Brendan is an adjunct professor with the State University of New York at Delhi. He is an Executive Fellow with the National Police Institute, a member of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association and a board member for Law Enforcement Action Partnership.
He and his wife Ann have two children, Connor and Spencer.
Job Titles:
- Data and Quality Manager at PDA
- Director of Data and Quality
Brenton is the Data and Quality Manager at PDA, where he oversees external reporting, internal auditing, and database management for programs such as LEAD, CoLEAD, and Eviction Mitigation. He has a background in social service work, having spent the past decade in Seattle working in roles such as encampment-based outreach with Evergreen Treatment Services' REACH program and case management with Compass Housing Alliance. Brenton is dedicated to his work and takes pride in representing the work that PDA does through numbers and narratives.
He grew up in the greater Portland, Oregon area and moved to Seattle in 2007 to attend the University of Washington. In his free time, Brenton enjoys traveling, watching baseball, and spending time with his dogs Atlas and Griffey.
Job Titles:
- Participant Support Specialist Manager, CoLEAD
Bronwyn Talaga was born and raised in Seattle. Growing up with parents who were pastors, her home became a safe house to vulnerable and unhoused teens. Bronwyn believes that her passion for people was planted at a young age. The simplicity of providing basic needs such as food, clothing, and a warm bed were one of the ways she saw change happen for better. She has more than 18 years of experience in direct service, management, and team leadership, possessing the skills and knowledge to effectively lead and support staff to ensure that the overall mission, goals, and values are achieved. She is passionate about accomplishing a safe place physically and mentally with both Purpose. Dignity. Action. staff and participants.
Job Titles:
- Information Technology Operations Specialist
- IT Operations Specialist for PDA
Carlo Garcia is the IT Operations Specialist for PDA. He has become an integral part of the IT Department by demonstrating focus, patience, and determination to troubleshoot processes and tech devices for the company.
Prior to his IT position, Carlo was a Shift Lead for the CoLEAD Program. He possesses over 10 years of homeless outreach and direct service experience with a full spectrum of individuals experiencing homelessness. He originally started his career as an outreach coordinator for the Downtown Seattle Association's homeless outreach team. He assisted in the development and growth of the program and was promoted to the Lead Public Safety Outreach Coordinator. In this position, he assisted law enforcement when addressing homelessness issues in downtown Seattle.
He recently relocated back to Seattle from Buffalo, NY where he worked as the Homeless Street Outreach Specialist for BestSelf Behavioral Health. In this position, he provided intensive case management and care coordination to individuals living with a severe and persistent mental health diagnosis. He was also Chair of the Homeless Outreach and Housing Committee which was part of Western New York's Homeless Coalition. Carlo also participated in Code Blue which provided emergency shelter during the winter months.
Carlo is passionate about helping people in any way possible, whether it be through direct services or in IT; Carlo strives to be available to help. Carlo is passionate about helping PDA streamline workflow and improve system navigation through the adoption of technology.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate
- Participant Support Specialist, CoLEAD
Chip is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) and Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP) with a commitment to harm reduction and person-led approaches towards care. Along with a passion for trauma-informed work he has a commitment to racial equity, and the dismantling of oppressive social systems that perpetuate white supremacy. Bringing experience as a therapist, a social worker, a supervisor, an instructor, treatment director, and writer, Chip brings varied experiences to his position with CoLEAD.
Job Titles:
- LEAD WA Technical Support Team Project Manager
Chelle is a dedicated advocate for criminal justice reform and strives to ensure that everyone is entitled to a fair and just society. After six years in the United States Air Force as a data analyst and resource manager, Chelle left the military to start a family of her own. She is a mother to two young children.
With an eye on an even brighter future for her and her kids, Chelle decided to pursue her master's degree in public administration. She was determined to become an even stronger voice in the fight for system change and alternatives to the war on drugs. Throughout her professional career, Chelle has made a point of building strong connections in the advocacy community. She loves connecting with like-minded people to start conversations and foster collaboration on social justice reform. When faced with a challenge, she does not back down and continues to fight for justice and positive outcomes for those in need. She's also passionate about providing training to teams who are dedicated to creating system changes.
Chelle strives to be a role model for her children and everyone in the communities she serves. Her commitment to creating a better future for her family and our global community will make the world a better place for everyone. She couldn't be more delighted with the opportunity to spend her professional career advocating for change and believes that she can be a part of the wave of positive transformation that will benefit us all.
Job Titles:
- Director of Education and Resiliency
Although Chevonna has served most populations and clinical settings, she specializes in trauma-informed and culturally conscious services, with extensive experience related to serving individuals facing community violence, homelessness, and human trafficking. She combines her 20+ years of clinical expertise, education, training/certification, and overall life experiences to present as skilled, yet relatable. Chevonna is the published author of ‘The Emerging Healer: Adding insight and impact to your mental health work.' Chevonna is a UCLA alumni, international speaker and trainer.
Through her work, Chevonna also serves as a fierce advocate for representation in the mental health industry and suicide prevention. Most importantly, Chevonna is a wife, mother, encourager to all and loves to travel.
Her work has consisted of providing case management to assist folks from all communities living in encampments, cars, and shelters. She has experience navigating the complex housing system such as permanent supportive housing, accessing employment, education, mental health, the legal system, substance use disorder supports and other basic need resources in the community. Crystal has worked with organizations such as Pierce County's Associated Ministries and Shared Housing Services in partnership with the Tacoma Reach Center. In King County, she has worked with Catholic Community Services Federal Way Day Center and Reach Out shelters partnering with Coordinated Entry to assist community members access housing.
Crystal has dual AA Degrees in the Arts & Sciences and Applied Human Services with a certification in Substance Use Disorder Professional Trainee from Tacoma Community College. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Law and Justice at Central Washington University. In addition, Crystal has worked tirelessly on the frontlines with her community being a catalyst for much needed systemic change. She focuses on grassroots advocacy and organizing for many social issues including, but not limited to, housing, social justice, equity, systemic racism, police accountability, and reforms.
Her work is centered on housing first, harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and creative approaches to fill the gaps in our communities. Crystal's core values are centered on uplifting the voices of our community with lived experience and supporting one's right to safe, affordable housing.
Job Titles:
- CEO, Community Passageways & Co - Owner, We Deliver Care
Job Titles:
- CoLEAD Participant Support Specialist
- Senior Participant Support Specialist, CoLEAD
Harumi Hashimoto, CoLEAD Participant Support Specialist, is a national certified problem gambling counselor and master addiction counselor, holding a Washington State license of Mental Health Counselor(LCMH) and Substance Use Disorder Professional (SUDP). Harumi's passion is to help people in need utilizing a holistic approach - emotional, physical, social/cultural, legal and spiritual aspects needed to thrive as a whole being. Harumi enjoys playing tennis, cooking, and eating sushi.
Job Titles:
- Senior Assistant Seattle City Attorney
Job Titles:
- Participant Support Specialist, CoLEAD
Helen is drawn to this work because she has lived through and experienced the same sort of things that her clients have experienced. Helen knows what it is like to be incarcerated. She knows the pain of being a homeless mother who is trying to protect herself and her children from the darkness of the streets. She has survived being beaten so severely by a domestic partner that they left her for dead. Yet, here she is today - a survivor. Helen says she is a survivor because there was someone who looked at her and saw more than just a criminal, a homeless person, or a victim. She is here because there was someone that put out their hand and opened their heart. She is here because she wants to be that person for someone else. Helen wants to show people how they don't have to stay where they are right now. She wants them to see that people can and do turn their lives around.
After being an outreach program manager for five years, Helen is looking forward to using the experience and knowledge she gained in that position with her personal experience to support the participants in the CoLEAD program on their journey to home and to the rest of their lives.
Job Titles:
- Participant Support Specialist Supervisor, CoLEAD
Jenea comes to the CoLEAD team at PDA with an abundance of experience. She possesses over 13 years of housing case management and 8 years of leadership experience. Jenea graduated from Seattle Central Community College in one of their very first Bachelor of Social Work programs.
Prior to joining CoLEAD as a Shift Lead, then later promoted to Participant Support Supervisor, Jenea was a Program Supervisor at Catholic Community Services for several years. During her tenure at Catholic Community Services, she was given the opportunity to assist with the launch of the Housing Connector powered by Zillow connecting clients with wraparound services. She also partnered with the Seattle Housing Authority and Seattle Public Schools in a pilot program that helped assist program participants experiencing homelessness in obtaining housing vouchers.
When Jenea is not at work, you can find her with her little ones on the basketball court, track and field, reading a book, or flying the friendly skies.
Job Titles:
- Housing Specialist, CoLEAD
Jo was born and raised in the Northwest. She loves reading, photography, concerts and spending time with her husband and friends. One of her favorite things to do is to travel outside the US and immerse herself in different cultures and have amazing experiences. Jo lived in Guatemala for a few years and hoped to retire there. She has a B.A. in English from the University of Oregon and a Masters in the Art of Teaching (MAT) from Pacific University.
Jo has both lived and professional experience. She comes from a family history of substance use disorder. After seeking help and while in recovery, Jo brought that lived experience to provide compassion, empathy, and a non-judgemental attitude into her work. She spent the last several years working for King County family shelters doing intake and diversion, but after witnessing many families lose their housing and returning to shelter, Jo sought a more hands-on role in aftercare to help insure participants remain housed after leaving shelter services. She is an advocate of harm reduction approaches.
Cyr is a passionate advocate of supporting others in achieving their goals. She believes a key component of long-term solutions regarding assisting people who have been unhoused lies in aftercare. Acquiring housing is a first step in a long road of building a desired life, but providing needed aftercare to further support people in regard to remaining housed and meeting other goals is paramount in addressing the individual needs of each participant. As a CoLEAD Housing Specialist, Jo is excitedly engaged in providing these support services to help participants achieve their dreams.
Job Titles:
- Participant Support Specialist Supervisor, CoLEAD
Johnny Bousquet started at CoLEAD as an Outreach Responder and has worked his way up to Participant Support Specialist Supervisor.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Co - Executive Director / Policy
Lisa Daugaard, Co-Executive Director/Policy, is an alumna of The Defender Association's (TDA) public defense era.
Lisa joined TDA in 1996 as a staff attorney, and later served as Misdemeanor Division Supervisor, Assistant Deputy Director, and Deputy Director. In 1998, she helped launch TDA's Racial Disparity Project (RDP), combating racial discrimination in, and generated by, the criminal legal system at the height of mass incarceration, and she supervised the RDP from 2000-2013.
As part of the RDP work, from 2001-2008, Lisa led a successful selective enforcement litigation challenge to drug arrests of Black people in Seattle. The settlement of that litigation effort resulted in an agreement by the Seattle Police Department and the King County Prosecutor's Office to launch a pilot pre-booking diversion framework for drug offenses, which came into being in 2011 as the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) model.
Lisa was the first LEAD project manager, and has worked with the LEAD Support Bureau to provide technical support for other jurisdictions seeking to replicate the flagship Seattle LEAD effort since 2012. Lisa was Deputy Director of the King County Department of Public Defense from 2014-2015, and returned to PDA as Executive Director in 2015. She was Co-Chair of the Seattle Community Police Commission from 2013-2017, and remained a commissioner until 2019. In 2019, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for work building consensus around community-based responses to illegal behavior related to unmet behavioral health needs and extreme poverty.
Lisa grew up in the Seattle area, attended the University of Washington, was an anti-apartheid activist at Cornell University in the mid-1980s while occasionally attending class and earning an MA, and obtained her JD from Yale Law School (class of 1992). After law school, she worked in New York City as a fellow at the ACLU National Legal Department, as Legal Director of the Coalition for the Homeless, and as Organizing Project Director at the Urban Justice Center. She is a fanatical WNBA and UW football supporter, and mom to a wonderful daughter, appreciative of working for an organization that makes space for family obligations.
Job Titles:
- Housing Specialist, CoLEAD
Job Titles:
- Senior Participant Support Specialist, CoLEAD
Marc-Anthony Urban (MS, MHP, MST) and has a masters in Forensic Psychology. He brings years of experience working in both forensic and clinical roles across a variety of institutions and constructs. Marc-Anthony's experience includes working as a Designated Crisis Responder (DCR), Clinical Supervisor of Mobile Crisis Teams (Seattle), Multisystemic Therapist and several years serving as a probation and parole officer (including, but not limited to, Drug Court).
Marc-Anthony is passionate about social justice/reform, racial equity, and advocacy for individuals from marginalized communities.
Michele Gayle was born in Jamaica and raised between Jamaica and Florida. Michele graduated from Florida International University in 2008 with a bachelors of arts in psychology. After taking a year off to work in an Intensive Outpatient Program as a Substance Use Program Specialist, she decided to attend Nova Southeastern University in 2009 and graduated with a master's in mental health counseling in 2012. Throughout her career, Michele has worked in outpatient, intensive outpatient, and residential programs that serve individuals with mental, behavioral, and/or substance use challenges. Michele has spent the last four years of her career working in state government advocating for and managing state and federal funds that support programs that serve the same disenfranchised populations she provided clinical care for.
Michele currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her wife and two of her four step children. She spends her free time hiking, watching basketball, and laughing uncontrollably with her loved ones. Michele hopes that this new chapter in her career will be the best yet as she shares the goal of ensuring all humans get the chance to live a life of purpose, dignity, and action.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager, Seattle - King County LEAD
Michelle worked part-time as a community organizer, advocate, and lead facilitator for the Civil Survival Project (CSP) which is an organization led by formerly justice involved folx. CSP teaches civic engagement and how to make an ask through storytelling. Michelle organized and facilitated community game changer meetings for those who were impacted by the criminal legal system.
Prior to joining PDA Michelle worked full-time at Highline College for eight years as the director of the Reentry Transitions Pathways and While In School Housing (WISH) programs which she created. Michelle received employee of the year based on the success of the reentry and student housing program which led to receiving additional state funding for other higher ed institutions to pilot the program. Reentry services are now available in a lot of Washington State colleges and universities.
In 2020, Michelle transitioned into a full-time role in the CoLEAD program. She started out as an Outreach Responder, promoted to Shift Lead, then promoted to Site Manager overseeing two sites. Michelle is now a LEAD Project Manager serving the Southwest precinct. She also provides project management support for the South precinct and White Center.
Michelle has over twenty years of experience working in human and social services, healthcare, and the criminal legal system. She is a certified financial literacy coach as well as a certified peer counselor. Through higher education and lived experience, Michelle found her voice and purpose by making a difference in community organizing, telling her story to elected officials, asking them to partner with her in changing laws and policies around criminal justice reform, behavioral health, housing and food insecurities, and public safety. She approaches these issues from a non-judgmental, holistic trauma-informed approach.
Patricia Anders (she/her) is an attorney at PDA. She provides legal representation to LEAD clients and advocates for criminal legal system reform.
Patricia is committed to transformative justice and brings experience designed to create change in social systems.
Patricia worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as an advocate at the Center for the Pacific Asian Family in Los Angeles, at the Domestic Violence Clinic at the Dorchester, MA District Court, and at the Domestic Violence Institute at the Boston Medical Center. These experiences highlighted that punitive-based systems, especially the criminal legal system, purporting to serve survivors are ineffective, frequently further traumatize survivors and fail to address the issues contributing to violence in families and communities.
Patricia spent over a decade as a Public Defender providing client-centered representation while pushing for reforms in the criminal legal system. During her eight years with the New Mexico Law Offices of the Public Defender she served in a variety of capacities including managing the Metro Division and as the Training and Recruitment Director. Patricia also practiced public defense in Massachusetts and Alaska, and in the municipal courts of Sedro-Woolley, Mount Vernon, Burlington and Bellingham, Washington. Patricia focused on spotlighting and pushing back against the persistent racial and ethnic bias in the criminal legal system and on treatment alternatives to the criminalization and punishment of persons with mental disorders, cognitive disabilities or trauma.
Patricia works to engage with people and organizations to identify priorities and partner in developing solutions on the issues most important to them. As a grassroots lobbyist and organizer with the Massachusetts and Boston Chapters of the National Organization for Women she advocated for marriage equality, reproductive rights and policies and practices to support financial freedom and equity for women and girls. With the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty she provided know your rights workshops in the community, pursued changes to laws and policies and engaged in advocacy and litigation to address systemwide injustices, enforce rights and hold public institutions accountable.
Patricia received a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies from Mount Holyoke College and a J.D. from Northeastern University.
Outside of PDA, Patricia enjoys immersing herself in nature, hiking, and gardening.
Job Titles:
- LEAD Project Manager
- Project Manager, Seattle - King County LEAD
Ramon Hernandez is a LEAD Project Manager. He has years of experience working with individuals at the intersection of poverty, justice involvement, and unmet behavioral health needs. Prior to assuming his current position, he held multiple roles with CoLEAD. Ramon is passionate about developing alternatives to mass incarceration, responses to homelessness, and behavioral health.
When not working, Ramon takes courses at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a Master of Public Administration candidate. After graduation, Ramon intends to pursue a law degree. Ramon enjoys spending his free time watching movies, going for runs, biking, exercising and spending time with his wife and loved ones.
Job Titles:
- Senior Project Manager, LEAD Seattle King County
Job Titles:
- Senior Participant Support Specialist / Data Coordinator, CoLEAD
Job Titles:
- Senior Attorney
- Senior Staff Attorney
Skylar Brett is a Senior Staff Attorney and also coordinates the legal intern/extern program.
Prior to joining PDA, Skylar practiced appellate public defense, representing adults and children accused of crimes, parents fighting against removal of their children, and people facing involuntary commitment. Skylar became a lawyer because she wanted to be a public defender, but she has learned that the only way to mitigate the harm of the criminal legal system is to collaborate with clients to try to avoid it altogether, whenever possible. Skylar is driven by collaborative relationships with clients and the thrill of crafting ways to make the law work for people other than those for whom it was designed.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Co - Executive Director / Programs
- Co - Executive Director of Programs at Purpose
Tara Moss is the Co-Executive Director of Programs at Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA). She shares Executive Directorship with Lisa Daugaard (Co-Executive Director of Policy).
Tara oversees PDA programs that include LEAD and CoLEAD. Previous to her Co-Executive Director role, Tara was the program director of Seattle-King County LEAD for over four years, the nation's first pre-booking diversion alternative to arrest and prosecution for unlawful conduct related to drugs and poverty.
Tara partnered with business owners, human rights advocates, community leaders, elected officials, case managers, and law enforcement to operationalize LEAD. Under her leadership, LEAD grew from a pilot program to a multi-agency initiative with countywide impact, all while retaining its commitment to principles of harm reduction, trauma-informed care, racial equality, power sharing, and accountable relationships.
While studying for her bachelor's degree at Smith College, Tara began interning at Street Outreach Services (SOS), providing street-level harm reduction outreach and education. After graduating college Tara worked at SOS full time, building her leadership skills, she advanced to the organization's executive director in four years. In 2009, she returned to Real Change (where she had volunteered in the past), and was employed at the organization for eight years overseeing the vendor program and later organizational operations.