Fellowship Staff
Cassidy Berlin, M.P.A
Fellowsip Director
Cassidy Berlin serves as the Michigan Holistic Defense Fellowship Director and as the Recruitment and Retention Specialist for public defender offices in Northern Michigan. She lives in Marquette, Michigan and is an employee of the Marquette County Office of the Public Defender. The Director oversees Fellowship operations, including the program curriculum, application process, training, and compliance with the Fellowship Standards.
Cassidy holds a B.S. degree, in Environmental Sustainability from Northern Michigan University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. She is a committed advocate for criminal justice reform and believes in the power of the holistic defense model as a tool for systemic change.
Board Members
Robert Champion, J.D.
Chief Public defender, fellowship board chair, Wexford missaukee County board member
Robert Champion is the Chief Public Defender for the Wexford Missaukee Public Defenders Office, where he leads a dedicated team focused on providing compassionate, client-centered representation. A proud graduate of Ferris State University and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Robert has spent more than 30 years defending people across Michigan in cases ranging from OWI to homicide. As one of the original participants in the Michigan Holistic Defense Fellowship Program, he’s passionate about bringing innovative, people-first approaches to public defense — work that’s even been featured on Dateline NBC.
Gary Kennedy II, J.D.
Principal Trial attorney, fellowship vice chair, parliamentarian, Macomb county board member
Gary is currently the Deputy Chief Public Defender of Macomb County. Prior to his service with Macomb County, Gary spent a decade co-leading a private firm with his wife and partner and specialized in criminal defense and criminal appeal services. His passion for litigating started at Cooley Law School with his experience in moot court, and he hasn’t stopped since. Fifteen years later, Gary serves as Macomb County’s Chief Trial Attorney under the Chief Public Defender. When he’s not mentoring the next generation of public defenders, Gary can be found coaching baseball and wrangling his five children.
Michelle Bolthouse, M.P.A.
Administrative and Compliance supervisor, Genesee County Board Member
Michelle Bolthouse has served in an administrative capacity at the Genesee County Public Defender since 2018, ensuring that clients receive timely, high-quality representation and that attorneys and defense team members have the resources they need to succeed. Michelle holds a Master of Public Administration from the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, where her studies focused on policies surrounding the criminalization of poverty and mental illness. She is a passionate advocate for the holistic defense approach, emphasizing the importance of addressing the underlying issues that often contribute to individuals’ involvement in the criminal justice system.
Erin Freers-Cole, J.D.
Chief Public Defender, macomb county board member (alternate)
Erin is currently the Chief Public Defender with the Macomb County Office of Public Defender. She has been with the office of Public Defender since 2023. Prior to that she was an attorney in private practice for 17 years with her father, Steven Freers and sister Dana Freers. A majority of her practice has always focused on indigent criminal defense. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the Macomb County Bar Association as the Secretary and has been on the Board for the last three years. She had the pleasure of working with Michigan Works and their Clean Slate Program and personally helped over 100 people expunge their criminal records. She has written many articles for the magazine of the Bar Association, Bar Briefs. When Erin is not working, she is volunteering with her three children’s various activities.
Jessica Olson, LMSW-Clinical
Mitigation Services program director, Marquette County Board Member
Jessica is the Mitigation Services Program Director at the Marquette County Office of the Public Defender. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Michigan and is a passionate advocate for social workers in public defense.
Julie Miller, J.D.
Deputy Chief Public defender Northeast Michigan Regional Defender office board member
Julie Miller is the Director of Operations for the Northeast Michigan Regional Defender Office, which serves Alpena, Montmorency, and Oscoda Counties. She graduated with honors from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2002, where she developed a passion for indigent defense during her externship at the Washtenaw County Public Defender Office. She has continued to serve indigent populations throughout her career. Julie also holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration and community development from Central Michigan University.
Julie is a member of CDAM, NAPD, NLADA, and serves on the local Community Corrections Advisory Board.
Friends of the Fellowship
Dan Ellman
Assistant Clinical professor and director of externships (wayne state university law school), Program manual author
Daniel Ellman is an assistant clinical professor and the Director of Externships. Before joining Wayne Law, Dan worked as a public defender at the Bronx Defenders practicing holistic defense. In addition to litigating criminal cases, he focused on the intersection of the criminal legal system and other fields, including immigration, housing, employment, and family law. Dan then clerked for the Hon. Richard H. Bernstein on the Michigan Supreme Court and taught at the University of Michigan in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Prior to law school, Dan was a bilingual fifth-grade teacher in Washington Heights, New York City. Dan earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, a master’s degree in teaching from Pace University, and a B.A., magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College.
Dr. Athena Kheibari
associate professor in social work at Wayne State University and the Holistic Defense Program Coordinator at the School of Social Workposition
Athena Kheibari, PhD, has substantial forensic practice experience, including work as a capital mitigation specialist with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy and as an expert witness and consultant in criminal defense cases in Michigan. She has developed innovative courses in holistic defense and behavioral health in the criminal legal system, mentored emerging scholars and practitioners, and collaborated with public defender organizations to expand interdisciplinary defense practice for law and social work students. In addition to her forensic practice experience, Dr. Kheibari has research expertise in suicide, suicide stigma, behavioral health, and the experiences of individuals involved in the criminal legal system. She has published studies on suicide attitudes, suicide prevention, substance use, mental health, and legal-system responses to behavioral health crises. Her scholarship has appeared in leading journals including OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying, Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, and the Journal of Social Work Education. Through her scholarship, teaching, and community partnerships, Dr. Kheibari advances trauma-informed, equity-centered approaches to criminal legal education and advocacy.
Nicole Walter, J.D.
MIDC Regional Manager, MIDC Member-At-Large (non-voting)
Nicole Walter is a Regional Manager with the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC). Prior to joining the MIDC, she worked at the Office of the Jackson County Public Defender. She is particularly concerned with issues of substance abuse as it relates to criminal justice and seeks holistic alternatives to incarceration that include mental health treatment and rehabilitation. She graduated from Kalamazoo College and Wayne State University Law School and worked for many years in banking/finance before shifting her purpose to indigent defense.
Past Cohorts
2025 Fellowship
2025
Law Fellows
- Spencer LaDue
2025 Allegan County Law Fellow - Madison Edwards
2025 Calhoun County Law Fellow - Whitney Dean
2025 Genesee County Law Fellow - Oke Ukachukwu
2025 Macomb County Law Fellow - Jo Homoly
2025 Marquette County Law Fellow - Jacob Roberts
2025 Wexford Missaukee County Law Fellow - Paul Havern
2025 Wexford Missaukee County Law Fellow
2025
Social Work Fellows
- Emma Raybould
2025 Allegan County Social Work Fellow - Jude Campbell
2025 Calhoun County Social Work Fellow - Beau Schultz
2025 Genesee County Social Work Fellow - Alex Bourbonais
2025 Macomb County Social Work Fellow - Allison Zeug
2025 Marquette County Social Work Fellow - Carly Lang
2025 Wexford Missaukee County Social Work Fellow
2024 Fellowship
2024
Law Fellows
- Taylor Mikkelson
2024 Allegan County Law Fellow - Logan Allen
2024 Calhoun County Law Fellow - Paola Gonzalez
2024 Genesee County Law Fellow - Patrick Daniels
2024 Macomb County Law Fellow - Madeline Alger
2024 Wexford Missaukee County Law Fellow
2024
Social Work Fellows
- Savannah Maat
2024 Allegan County Social Work Fellow - Sydney Wood
2024 Genesee County Social Work Fellow - Renee Hysko
2024 Macomb County Social Work Fellow - Jamel Williams
2024 Wexford Missaukee County Social Work Fellow