Cindy Elias

I have dedicated my life and career to public service. As a public defender, I played many different roles - parent, friend, counselor, therapist, social worker and most importantly advocate. I helped numerous clients reconnect with both their families, as well as their communities. As the attorney for the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (L.E.A.D.) program, I worked closely with the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, and community organizations, such as Glide and the Felton Institute, to help develop and institute a program aimed at reducing recidivism for low-level drug and alcohol offenders. Being involved with the L.E.A.D. program further enlightened me as to the issues that confront the police daily and gave me a further understanding of how the police's relationship with the community can be improved.