September 27, 2021 3:30 a.m.

The Umpqua Valley Public Defenders Office has announced the appointment of Erik Swallow as its new executive director.

A release from UVPD’s management team said Swallow is in his 17th year of practicing juvenile and criminal law in Douglas County. It said that Swallow “will provide the experience, continuity, and leadership UVPD needs during these challenging times”. Ten years of Swallow’s practice has been at UVPD. He has been the assistant director for the last five years.

The release said Swallow looks forward to implementing his vision to push UVPD to a more equitable and inclusive public defense practice serving the diverse needs of its clients.

Swallow follows former Executive Director Dan Bouck who recently retired after over 30 years in public defense. The decision to select Swallow as the new leader was made by the organization’s board of directors.