Directory of Division Chiefs

Jon Anderson

Chief, Special Litigation Division

Jon Anderson joined PDS as a trial attorney in 2001. In the Trial Division he represented clients charged with juvenile and adult criminal offenses in D.C. Superior Court. Jon joined the Appellate Division in 2007, where he briefed and argued cases before the D.C. Court of Appeals. He became a Supervising Attorney in the Appellate Division in 2014. Jon was appointed to Chief of the Special Litigation Division (SLD) in 2017. SLD handles a wide variety of complex matters and issues, including both post-conviction proceedings and systemic issues that affect PDS’s clients, and regularly works with lawyers from other PDS divisions.

Jon is a graduate of The George Washington University and New York University School of Law.

Betsy Biben

Chief, Office of Rehabilitation and Development

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A Forensic and Clinical Social Worker, Betsy Biben is the Chief of the Office of Rehabilitation and Development (ORD) where she has served her clients and PDS since 1982. Betsy has dedicated her life to empowering people arrested in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Throughout her career, she has prepared sentencing reports and/or testimony before courts in Washington, D.C. (local and federal), Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama and has trained judges, attorneys, and law and social work students on a national and local basis since 1976. Betsy is a member of the Defender Counsel and the Client Policy Group and a founding member of the National Alliance for Sentencing Alternatives & Mitigation Specialists for the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA). She also serves as a board member for the Southern Center for Human Rights and Voices for a Second Chance in D.C. Betsy is also a former consultant for The Sentencing Project and the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA). She has worked in the criminal justice system since 1974.

Betsy received her Master in Social Work from the University of Connecticut and a postgraduate certificate from the Washington School of Psychiatry. She is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) and is a licensed social worker in D.C. (LICSW).

Kimberly Clark

Chief, Mental Health Division

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Kimberly Clark is motivated by and derives satisfaction from protecting the liberties of indigent individuals who have a mental illness.

Kimberly began her career as a trial attorney, handling general and serious felony cases. Always the defender who welcomes a challenge, Kimberly transitioned to the Mental Health Division in 2000 and there developed a life-long passion to serve this often maligned and stigmatized population. Appointed Chief in 2011, Kimberly is committed to developing attorneys who provide the best representation money can’t buy. Kimberly has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Art from North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Faheemah Davillier

Chief, Investigations Division

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Faheemah Davillier, Chief of the Investigations Division, oversees the provision of thorough and professional investigative services for all legal divisions at PDS. She joined PDS as an intern investigator in September 2002, and has since held many leadership positions within the Investigations Division. As deputy chief, in addition to supporting the day to day operations of the Investigations Division, Faheemah assisted in the development and training of fellow staff investigators, staff attorneys, intern investigators, Criminal Justice Act (CJA) investigators, and for the National Defense Investigator Association (NDIA.) Other leadership roles have included training coordinator and lead investigator for the Special Litigation Division while simultaneously conducting investigations for both juvenile and adult indigent defendants.

Faheemah graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a Bachelors Degree in Law and Society.

Samia Fam

Chief, Appellate Division

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Samia Fam is the Chief of the Appellate Division at PDS. She joined PDS in 1985 as a trial lawyer and practiced for seven years in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia representing clients from juvenile court through trials of homicides and other serious felonies. She joined the Appellate Division in 1992. As chief, Samia directs the appellate and post-conviction litigation of a staff of eighteen lawyers, including cases in which PDS participates as amicus curiae in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. The Appellate Division also regularly advises PDS trial lawyers, lawyers from other agency divisions and CJA lawyers. Samia has argued cases in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and successfully litigated post-conviction claims in the Superior Court exposing governmental suppression of exculpatory evidence. She graduated from Stanford University in 1981 and New York University School of Law in 1985.

Eric Hirst

Chief, Information Technology

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Eric Hirst is PDS’s Chief Information Officer with over 15 years experience working in legal and litigation technology. He oversees the Information Technology division which supports enterprise applications, enterprise data, user support, infrastructure, communications, and information security. Eric is also responsible for setting IT direction and coordinating infrastructure and service delivery.

Prior to joining PDS, Eric was Director of Practice Technology at Bredhoff and Kaiser PLLC where he had a similar role. In addition to overseeing the Firm’s technology, he oversaw all of the litigation support functions to include the processes of e-Discovery, computer forensics, document review and other case related activities.

A native of Ohio, Eric earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical College Josephinum and pursued graduate studies at The Catholic University of America.

Robert Hornstein

Chief, Civil Legal Services Division

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Robert Hornstein is the Chief of Civil Legal Services at PDS. He is committed to working with CLS’s experienced attorneys to further develop PDS’s civil litigation practice to address the collateral consequences of arrest and conviction for PDS clients, to further integrate PDS’s civil litigation capabilities into PDS’s criminal defenses practice areas, and to address structural barriers that burden and affect PDS clients’ ability to successfully reenter the community.

Rob spent 20 years in private practice and with federally funded poverty law programs in Mississippi, Delaware, and Florida. As a public interest attorney, Rob handled a wide array of poverty law litigation in both state and federal court as well as in administrative forums. That litigation included public housing issues, fair housing cases, school expulsions, special education advocacy, and consumer matters. In Delaware, he litigated the rights of homeless families to extended emergency assistance benefits. In Florida, he litigated and wrote about the use of jury trials and defenses to protect against the loss of housing for families facing eviction under One Strike drug and criminal activity housing authority policies. Prior to joining PDS, Rob taught at Florida Coastal School of Law. While at Florida Coastal, he taught and wrote on poverty law issues.

Roderick (Rod) Hubbard

Chief, Office of Budget and Finance

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Roderick (Rod) Hubbard, PDS’s Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for overseeing the Office of Budget and Finance, its staff, and the financial operations of PDS. Responsibilities include budget formulation, budget execution, financial reporting, audit management, accounting, procurement and acquisition, payroll processing, and travel.

Prior to PDS, Rod was the Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Selective Service System, where he was responsible for oversight of all that agency’s financial operations. Before his seven years with Selective Service, Rod had a 25-year career with the Navy. His last position there was Deputy Director of the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy. As Deputy Director, Rod had financial, audit, budget, and leadership responsibilities.

David Knight

Chief, Trial Division

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David Knight first came to PDS as a law clerk in the summer of 2008 and joined PDS as a staff attorney in the Trial Division in 2009. Starting in 2013, he began serving as a Supervising Trial Attorney and served as a supervisor until he was promoted to Trial Chief in 2017.

David was raised and attended public schools in Detroit, Michigan. He obtained a B.B.A. in Finance from Howard University in 2003 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2009. He has previously worked as a financial analyst for a commercial bank and taught English and math abroad.

Trial attorneys at PDS strive to provide quality legal representation to their clients by protecting their freedoms and rights, zealously advocating for their liberty, and promoting the fair administration of justice. In his current role, David hopes to aid and encourage trial lawyers in their collective mission.

Eugene Mayo

Director, Human Resources

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As the Chief of Human Resources at PDS, Eugene Mayo is responsible for the organization’s human capital program, including talent acquisition, position classification, payroll, benefits and compensation administration, employee development, human resources information management, and regulatory compliance all for the purposes of inspiring excellence in people so that PDS is successful in its mission.

With over 20 years of experience in a range of human resources leadership positions and in environments including the non-profit, education, federal and municipal governments, healthcare, and transportation sectors, Eugene has delivered business results by driving operational efficiencies and supporting business objectives through oversight of talent acquisition programs, navigating and resolving employee/labor relations issues, and successfully delivering best in class human resources programs and policies with technology and automation integration. Eugene understands the importance of aligning human capital programs with PDS’s mission, vision, and objectives, in order to create synergies that achieve short and long-term goals to help leverage the organization as an 'employer of choice.'

Eugene earned a Bachelor of Arts (Magna Cum Laude) from Chapman University and a Master of Human Resources Development from Villanova University. As a consummate human resources practitioner, Eugene possesses dual certifications as a senior professional in human resources (SPHR) and global professional in human resources (GPHR). Eugene is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Tia Richardson

Chief, Defender Services Office

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Tia Richardson, Chief of the Defenders Services Office at PDS, is grateful to have been given the opportunity to focus her career on helping the most vulnerable citizens of the District of Columbia. Tia began her 14-year PDS career with the Defender Service Office as the Quality Assurance Specialist and was promoted within a year to Deputy Chief of the division. In this capacity, she has become very knowledgeable of the D.C. Superior Court process and is able to use this knowledge to assist clients in accessing all available services. In February of 2014, Tia was again promoted to Chief of the Defender Service Office and has taken on this new role with enthusiasm. Tia’s professional drive is rooted in a strong desire to see that those most hopeless and helpless individuals are afforded quality legal representation. She is proud to be able to carry out this mission with the Public Defender Service.

Tia has over twenty years of experience in the Criminal Justice Field, and has an extensive education including a Masters degree in Criminal Justice and a Masters degree in Legal and Ethical Studies.

Jamie Argento Rodriguez

Chief, Community Defender Division

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Jamie Argento Rodriguez, Chief of the Community Defender Division, has committed her career to representing persons in the District of Columbia whose lives have been derailed by the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Jamie began her career at PDS representing juvenile and adult clients in special education cases to ensure that these vulnerable students are afforded an opportunity to benefit from appropriate schools and services. In addition, Jamie spent more than six years as the Coordinator of PDS’s Juvenile Services Program, advocating for the unique needs of children who are incarcerated and committed.

Having recently been appointed as Chief of CDD, Jamie is determined to build her team of dedicated community defenders so CDD can provide comprehensive representation for clients regarding the myriad needs they face at the deepest end of the criminal and juvenile justice systems.

Jamie graduated from George Mason University in 1996 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1999.