San Diego Legal Aid Society gets new leader

Joanne Franciscus was appointed chief executive officer/executive director of the San Diego Legal Aid Society.

Franciscus said in an interview that taking the reins of the organization was bittersweet for her following the death of the former director. Greg Evan Knoll, 75, died in August, one month before his planned retirement. Knoll ran the Legal Aid Society of San Diego for nearly 50 years.

"The passing of our longtime executive director, Greg Knoll, was a profound loss for the Legal Aid community and for me personally, but I'm extremely grateful for being entrusted to lead this incredible organization that he built," she said. "I've been privileged to be a part of LASSD for the last 11 years and am so proud of the work that we do for San Diegans."

Franciscus has held several positions during 11 years at Legal Aid, most recently chief operating officer, overseeing day-to-day operations and fostering company culture. Among the 228 employees, there are 86 attorneys providing legal services to lower-income San Diegans. She said that over the next year, Legal Aid will assess the needs of the community and how best to meet them, including a program to provide help to people in CARE Court, Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan for voluntary commitment for some people who are chronically homeless.

"The services we provide go beyond just solving the legal problem at hand," she said. "We aim to address the root causes of poverty and inequity and really transform lives. I feel excited and hopeful for what the future holds for LASSD and the people we serve."