Legal Aid of Western Ohio Announces Executive Leadership Transition

Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO) announced today that Executive Director Kevin C. Mulder will retire effective December 5, 2025, following more than two decades of distinguished leadership and nearly three decades of service to civil legal aid.

Mulder joined LAWO in 1999 as a Managing Attorney and was appointed Executive Director in 2001. Prior to that, he served eight years at LAWO’s partner organization, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE), as a Senior Attorney and Managing Attorney. His earlier career included service as a federal district court law clerk and a public defender. Over the course of his tenure, Mulder guided the organization through periods of growth, economic recession, systemic change, and evolving client needs, while expanding access to justice for low-income individuals and families across western Ohio.

“Kevin’s leadership has shaped every corner of this organization and every generation of advocates who have come through our doors,” said Robert Tucker, President of the LAWO Board of Trustees. “His unwavering commitment to dignity, fairness, and client-centered advocacy has left a lasting mark on our staff, our communities, and the thousands of people whose lives were changed through his work. We are deeply grateful for his service and wish him every happiness in retirement.”

During Mulder’s leadership, LAWO strengthened its regional footprint, weathered multiple economic downturns, and reinforced its reputation for high-quality, comprehensive civil legal services delivered with respect and integrity.

At its September 25, 2025, meeting, the LAWO Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Patricia Y. Hernández to serve as Acting Executive Director, effective November 1, 2025. Hernández currently serves as LAWO’s Director of Advocacy, a role she has held since December 2022.

Before joining the leadership team, Hernández spent five years managing LAWO’s agricultural workers program and more than two decades at ABLE practicing in a wide range of poverty law areas, including civil rights, education, immigration, and employment. She is nationally recognized for her work in community lawyering and is widely respected for her collaborative and steady leadership style.

“Patty brings not only extraordinary legal expertise, but also deep institutional knowledge, national credibility, and a profound understanding of both our clients and our staff,” Tucker said. “The Board has full confidence in her ability to lead LAWO through this important transition and to carry forward our mission with strength and integrity.”

The Board expressed its full support for Hernández and the leadership team as the organization enters its next chapter in its more than 70-year history of service.

“We are honoring Kevin’s legacy while also investing in the future of Legal Aid of Western Ohio,” Tucker added. “Access to justice depends on strong leadership, and we are proud of the path ahead.