Carolyn helps develop policies, resources and programs that support and uplift public defender clients and their families, while also working to confront state sponsored violence. Carolyn has helped develop a number of initiatives at the Office, including the “Be the Jury” program that increases jury diversity by paying low-income jurors $100 per day if their employers do not pay for jury duty, and the “College Pathway Project” that formalizes a partnership between the Public Defender, Project Rebound, SF State and City College to create college pathways for our clients.
Prior to this role, Carolyn worked for 7 years at the District 9 Office at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors as a legislative aide to Supervisor David Campos, and then as Chief of Staff to Supervisor Hillary Ronen. She helped implement the city’s first Navigation Center and LGBT Shelter and was closely involved in the campaign to close Juvenile Hall and CJ 4 Jail. Before working in government, Carolyn was a multimedia editor with New America Media, and an assistant editor with The Beat Within, a magazine of writings by youth in Juvenile Halls. She received a BA from McGill University and an MSW From UC Berkeley.