Staff Bios

DANA F. EDDY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dana F. Eddy is a graduate of Salem College, West Virginia, with a double major in mathematics and public administration, and a 1984 graduate of Harvard Law School. Effective July 1, 2013, Dana was appointed by the Honorable Earl Ray Tomblin, Governor of the State of West Virginia, to the position of Executive Director of Public Defender Services, a West Virginia state agency. He has continued in this position during the administration of the Honorable Jim Justice. Before his appointment, Dana was in private practice, which included service on the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Southern District of West Virginia. Dana’s other positions have included serving as the Managing Trial Attorney in West Virginia for Nationwide Trial Division; an equity partner at the law firm of Jackson & Kelly; General Counsel to the Honorable Gaston Caperton, Governor of the State of West Virginia; and in-house litigation counsel for One Valley Bancorp. Dana is an avid tennis player, at which he is average, and avid reader of fiction, at which he is pretty good. Send email

MARK A. DOYLE, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

With a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia State University, Mark has worked for the State of West Virginia since August 1993. He began his career with the Division of Motor Vehicles, first as a Customer Service Representative processing titles and registrations then as an Administrative Services Assistant, processing receivables, conducting internal audits and assisting in the preparation of the yearly appropriation request and expenditure schedule. In January 1998 Mark transferred to the Dept. of Environmental Protection to become the Accounts Payable Manager. For the next 14 years he managed and participated in all aspects of the DEP payment process, from the audit of invoices, employee travel reimbursements, and purchasing card payment processing and auditing. In January 2012 he accepted the role of Accounts Payable Lead for the wvOASIS project. Mark worked closely with the wvOASIS State Financial Team, their partners ISG, and their vendor CGI in the development of the state’s new financial system to assure the future accounts payable needs for the State of West Virginia were met. In October 2014 he became a full time ERP Board employee with the wvOASIS Finance Team as a Senior Finance Manager. Mark transferred March 2017 to Public Defender Services (PDS) to become the Chief Financial Officer, overseeing the financial and budgetary processes of the agency, including the procurement function. Serving as the agency’s liaison with the Division of Finance and the Governor’s Budget Office. He served as the Agency Purchasing Card Coordinator and Agency Procurement Officer, ensuring compliance with State Auditor’s Office and Purchasing Division Policies and Procedures. In June of 2019 Mark left PDS to become the Assistant to the Commissioner and Acting Director of Fiscal and Administrative Management at Workforce WV. He had oversight of all federal reporting, procurement, and payables. It was a brief but interesting time Mark spent at Workforce WV. He returned to PDS in October 2019 to resume his role as Chief Financial Officer.

In his spare time Mark loves anything outdoors. He likes to work in his yard, bike, hunt, fish, enjoy all the natural beauty the great State of West Virginia has to offer. Mark is at his happiest when he is outside. Send email

DONALD L. STENNETT, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Donald joined Public Defender Services as the Chief Operating Officer in 2014. He serves as the co-director of the Criminal Law Research Center, final editor for the W. Va. Jury Instructions, final editor for the online Motions Bank, and agency Human Relations liaison to the Department of Personnel. Donald has 38 years of litigation experience, including serving as an Assistant U. S. Attorney (Southern District of West Virginia), Private Defense for Federal Criminal cases, a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel defending criminal cases, Insurance Defense, and a Mediator. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Concord University, and a J.D. from WVU School of Law. Send email

LEEANN M. DOYLE, DIRECTOR OF APPOINTED COUNSEL SERVICES

LeeAnn joined the Public Defender Services team as the Director of Appointed Counsel Services in 2019. Prior to working at PDS, she was the Business Manager and Fundraising Coordinator for the YMCA of Kanawha Valley for 23 years. LeeAnn holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Education from Marshall University. She enjoys traveling, dining out, and doing yoga in her free time. Send email

EMILY R. HATFIELD, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Currently working towards her Bachelors Degree in Accounting, Emily has been with PDS as the Administrative Assistant for the office. She has hopes to one day be a paralegal for the Habeas Corpus division. When she's not focusing on her studies, she spends her time with the arts; drawing, embroidery, and some sculpture. Send email.

LEE CARPER, OFFICE MANAGER

JONATHAN FRILEY, PUBLIC DEFENDER CORPORATION (PDC) ADMINISTRATOR

Jonathan graduated from WVU College of Law in 2008, where he was active in the ADR Society (President), Phi Alpha Delta (President), OUTLaw, and other organizations. He is a vocal advocate of process improvement methods (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma), Just Culture, Crucial Conversations, and other topics that have labeled him the office management geek, a title he lovingly embraces.

As PDC Administrator, Jonathan is responsible for overseeing eighteen independent non-state agencies, consisting of approximately two hundred fifty employees across twenty-four offices and comprising a total budget of around 19.2 million dollars. In addition to his PDC duties, Jonathan participates in brainstorming sessions and moot court with the Appellate Division, assists in organizing the annual conference, and serves as the internal tech consultant for the office.

Prior to joining PDS in 2014, Jonathan was the Office Manager of the Thirtieth Judicial Circuit PDC in Williamson. Send email

MALLORY G. THOMPSON, PROGRAMS COORDINATOR
Mallory Thompson joined Public Defender Services in 2022 as the Title 4e Coordinator and now serves as the Coordinator of Programs, overseeing several programs embedded in our Public Defender Corporation offices, current and future grants, and is a Youth Task Force team member. Prior to joining Public Defender Services, she was a Recovery Coach serving the 25th circuit (Boone/Lincoln), 6th circuit (Cabell), & 24th circuit (Wayne). She obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona Global Campus in psychology in 2022 and her master’s degree in psychology in 2023. Mallory is also a certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist through West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals, Inc. and has been awarded the GUILD Award from Public Defender Services and the New Frontier Award from West Virginia Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, Inc. Send email

ELIZABETH G. HATFIELD, ASSISTANT PROGRAMS COORDINATOR
Elizabeth Hatfield is currently in school studying Criminal Justice, with a focus on Court and Legal Studies. Before joining Public Defender Services in February 2023, she worked as a nationally certified pharmacy technician for CVS for almost 6 years. During that time, she traveled across the state to train technicians in other pharmacies and was the lead position for her location. She now helps Mallory run the programs for the Public Defender Corporation offices, maintaining and applying for new grants and is also a Defense of Youth Task Force member.

During her free time, she enjoys knitting, reading, and spending time with her cat Lucy. Send email

HANNAH M. MCCOY, PDC RESOURCE CENTER COORDINATOR
Hannah M. McCoy is a 2020 graduate of West Virginia State University, majoring in Communication (emphasis in Public Relations). She joined PDS in Spring of 2022 and moved into her current role in Fall of 2022. Currently, she serves as a liaison between the Public Defender Corporations and PDS, while providing logistical support to the other PDCRC team members. She enjoys reading as well as spending time with her friends and family.

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LORENA LITTEN, HEAD ATTORNEY

Lorena Litten is an attorney in the Habeas Division. She received her J.D. from WVU College of Law in 2013 and her B.A. in Philosophy, with an emphasis in pre-law, from WVU in 2009. In law school, Lorena was a member of the Public Interest Advocates. During the summer after her first year of law school, she was awarded a PIA fellowship to intern at Legal Aid of West Virginia in Elkins, where she met the man who would eventually become her husband. The following summer, Lorena interned with the Raleigh County Public Defender’s Office, where she realized she ultimately wanted to spend her career working in public defense. She was admitted to the West Virginia State Bar in the fall of 2013 and began employment at Klie Law Offices in Buckhannon, WV, where she worked until September 2015. At that time, Lorena left Klie to pursue her dream of working as a public defender with the Harrison County Public Defender’s Office, serving as an Assistant Public Defender until 2017. In December 2017, she was presented with the opportunity to become an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of West Virginia. Lorena held that position until February 2022, when she left to return to WV state court and joined Public Defender Services, representing criminal defendants in habeas corpus proceedings. Outside of her professional life, Lorena is a mother of two human children, as well as two dogs and four cats. It should be noted that Lorena is not like a regular mom; she is a cool mom. In her free time, she enjoys travel, baking, and listening to true crime podcasts. Send email

BRITTANY DENT, STAFF ATTORNEY
Brittany joined Public Defender Services as a Habeas Attorney in April 2023. She received her J.D. from WVU College of Law in 2017 and her B.A. in Psychology from West Virginia State University in 2014. While in high school, Brittany worked for an attorney that handled court appointed criminal cases, and it was then that she knew she wanted to be a criminal law attorney. During law school, she was a Public Interest Advocates summer fellow in the Huntington office of Legal Aid of West Virginia and a summer intern and 3L extern with the Federal Public Defender for the Sothern District of West Virginia. She received a CALI award for her externship class. After graduating from WVU College of Law, she ultimately took a job with a firm specializing in insurance defense and then branched off with one of the firm’s partners to create a new boutique firm; but the desire to work in criminal law never left her heart. After a brief hiatus in the legal field, Brittany excitedly came on board with Public Defender Services.

Outside of work, Brittany is the wife of Cassandra Curtis, and they have two sons, two dogs, a guinea pig, and a beta fish. She is a certified personal trainer, and she loves to work out and encourage others to pursue the best versions of themselves, both mentally and physically. She also enjoys volunteering her time for various non-profit organizations; running 5Ks and even an occasional half-marathon; eating Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets; and searching for new adventures to pursue with her wife and children. Send email

CARRIE MILLER, STAFF ATTORNEY
Carrie Miller is currently out on leave and not available.

GORDON SIMMONS, INVESTIGATOR

Gordon Simmons received a Master of Arts degree from Marshall University in 1983. While working at the West Virginia Division of Culture and History in 2001, he began representing public employees and investigating and preparing grievances, doing so full-time from 2008 until 2019. He is now the investigator for the Habeas Corpus Division. Send email

STEVE THOMPSON, PARALEGAL

Steve Thompson is a Paralegal with Public Defender Services. Steve is a Graduate of West Virginia University and is a retired 20-year veteran Legislative Analyst for the WV House of Delegates. In addition to helping fight for justice, Steve enjoys cooking, gardening and the arts. Send email

MATTHEW BRUMMOND, APPELLATE COUNSEL

Matthew Brummond is an attorney in the Appellate Advocacy Division. He graduated from WVU College of Law in 2008, where he had been active in Public Interest Advocates. Matthew’s present focus is post-conviction work, advocating for indigent prisoners through habeas corpus in circuit court, direct appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, and certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States. Send email

GARY COLLIAS, APPELLATE COUNSEL

Gary Collias holds a J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law and a B.A. in Political Science from Marshall University. Since graduation from law school, he has focused on labor law, plaintiff’s personal injury law, consumer bankruptcy, and federal and state criminal defense practice. Gary was awarded the Southern District Criminal Justice Act Panel Attorney of the Year Award in 2016 and notably tried a six week-long Federal death penalty case in Charleston in 2007 (U.S. v. Valeri Friend). He has served as member of the West Virginia State Election Commission and chaired the commission from 2016 to 2018. Gary joined Public Defender Services as Appellate Counsel in 2021. Send email

OLIVIA LEE, APPELLATE COUNSEL
Olivia Lee is a double Mountaineer with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Juris Doctorate with an Area of Emphasis in Public Interest Law. While in law school, Olivia served as the president for the West Virginia Fund in the Law for Public Interest and Board Member of Public Interest Advocates. Olivia's prior experience involves abuse and neglect, family law, and ADA accommodations in mental health facilities and state jails and prisons. Olivia's practice focuses on the representation of indigent prisoners on direct appeal to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Send email

MARSHA AUBREY, PARALEGAL
Marsha Aubrey is a 1997 graduate of Marshall University where she completed the ROTC program and commissioned United States Army Officer, Air Defense Artillery. Her first of many active duty assignments were Ft. Bliss, TX where she led a Battalion Maintenance Unit and then served as the S1 Administration Officer coordinating the deployment of 600+ Soldiers in three separate countries in South West Asia. In 2002, Marsha was then stationed in Germany where she served as the Brigade Operations Officer, Battalion Operations Officer, and Charlie Battery, 5-7 ADA Commander. She also served in Israel during the Iraq war. After her 13 year Army career, Marsha transitioned into Corporate America working as an Executive Lead for two Fortune 500 Companies before becoming a mom to her son Marshall. For the past 10 years, Marsha worked as the project manager and paralegal for an independent expert witness consultant and also became CEO of her online health and wellness business. In her spare time, Marsha loves scrapbooking and traveling with her son and business partners on exciting trips. Marsha is grateful to now add to her experience by serving as the Appellate Paralegal here at the WV Public Defender Services. Send email

LISA CONLEY, APPELLATE SECRETARY

Lisa Conley has worked for the state for 22 years. She comes from the Office of Judges where she worked for 21 years under the Office of the Insurance Commission. After the closure of the office last year, she was moved to Public Defender Services. She was the secretary there to assist the Judges in typing their decisions and orders. In her free time from work, she devotes herself to raising her grandchildren. She likes to stay busy, whether it be with the kids, helping others or just chilling with my elderly neighbor. Send email

BLAKE COLLIAS, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Blake Collias graduated from West Virginia University in 2017 with a bachelor of science degree in psychology. He serves at West Virginia Public Defender Services as an administrative assistant. He originally started working at West Virginia Public Defender Services as a temporary employee who processed vouchers before becoming a full time employee and transitioning to the role of administrative assistant. He has worked at West Virginia Public Defender Services since 2018. Send email

PAMELA CLARK, COORDINATOR

Pamela Clark has been with Public Defender Services for 20 years. She began her career with the agency as a secretary, then as a legal assistant for the Appellate Advocacy Division and currently holds the position as the Coordinator for the Criminal Law Research Center. She also serves as a Notary Republic and EEO Counselor for Public Defender Services. In her spare time, she enjoys taking vacations and spending time with her family. Send email

Staff Bios

​​​PDS A​d​​min

Resou​​​​​rce Center

Habeas Corpus D​ivision

Appellate Advocacy ​Division

Criminal L​aw ​​Resea​rch C​en​​ter