Omotayo B. Alli serves as Executive Director of the Georgia Public Defender Council (GPDC), where she leads the agency’s statewide mission to provide high-quality legal representation to indigent clients. Appointed by Governor Brian P. Kemp in March 2020, Director Alli brings decades of public-defense experience and a steadfast commitment to fairness, equity, and constitutional rights. Under her leadership, GPDC has strengthened frontline defense services, modernized operations, and expanded holistic support for clients and communities. She oversees 60 offices across Georgia, ensuring that every client receives skilled representation and access to resources addressing the root causes of court involvement. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her leadership ensured that no GPDC staff member was furloughed while positioning the agency for long-term success. In 2022, Director Alli achieved historic pay equity between public defenders and district attorneys, a first for Georgia. She increased funding for attorney salaries, raised contract rates, created a traveling-attorney team for underserved areas, launched a Gang and RICO Unit, and established a statewide Social Services Division to support rehabilitation and reentry. She also introduced a leadership program for defenders, modernized case management, and expanded community outreach. Director Alli founded the Ladders Program and Leadership Education Advancement Program (LEAP) to support youth and young adults through GED training, vocational development, and case management. Ladders boasts a 91 percent graduation rate and only 2 percent recidivism among graduates. Before joining GPDC, she served as Chief Administrative Officer for the Fulton County Juvenile Court and as the inaugural Director of Fulton County Child Attorneys. The first female and first African-heritage Executive Director of GPDC, Mrs. Alli holds degrees from Kent State University, Jacksonville State University, and Georgia State University. Her honors include the John Robert Lewis Lifetime Achievement Award (2024), recognizing her enduring dedication to justice, equality, and education.

Deepak Budwani is the Assistant Department Leader/Chief Financial & Administrative Officer for the Santa Barbara County Public Defender’s Office, overseeing fiscal, IT, legal support, and administrative operations across all office locations. He manages a $26M annual budget and a staff of 125. With over 18 years of experience in public and private criminal defense, Deepak has led initiatives in budget strategy, policy, digitization, and data integration. He has implemented three paperless case management systems and expanded data capacity to drive funding increases. Deepak is data-driven, analytical, and a strong advocate for using evidence-based decision-making to improve services and outcomes for indigent clients.