Mr. David LaBahn is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), a national association representing elected and deputy or assistant prosecutors, and city attorneys. The association acts as a global forum for the exchange of ideas, allowing prosecutors to collaborate with all criminal justice partners, and conducts timely and effective training and technical assistance to improve the prosecutorial function. In addition, APA serves as an advocate for prosecutors on emerging issues related to the administration of justice, development of partnerships and implementation of problem-solving strategies.

Prosecuting Attorney
Jackson County, MO

Jean Peters Baker has cemented a reputation during her tenure as Jackson County’s elected prosecutor as a  fearless and compassionate advocate for the victims of crime, especially the young and most vulnerable, and a champion of working with police and community leaders to confront the complex problem of violence. Baker was appointed prosecutor in May 2011 and elected to the position in November 2012. She is only the second woman elected to lead the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office; the first, now-U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, hired Baker as a young assistant prosecutor. Baker has since served in nearly every unit of the office,

Baker is widely credited with being unafraid of tackling difficult cases. In 2011, soon after being appointed to lead the office, Baker prosecuted the bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph for failing to report potential abuse of children by a priest. The case attracted national attention after a Jackson County grand jury’s indictment made the bishop the highest ranking cleric in the United States to face a criminal charge related to church’s child sex abuse scandal. In another case that attracted national attention, Baker was named special prosecutor in October 2013 to investigate the filing of charges in a high-profile sexual assault involving high school football players in northwest Missouri.

Over her career in the prosecutor’s office, Baker has served in Sex Crimes and Child Abuse, Community Justice, Domestic Violence, Drug Enforcement, Family Support, Major Crimes and as Chief Warrant Officer. Baker won the respect and admiration of neighborhood leaders, small business owners and law enforcement when she served as the coordinator of the Drug Abatement Response Team (DART). Baker spearheaded a multi-agency effort to close drug houses and businesses that erode our neighborhoods as well as motels that were known to be hotbeds of illegal drug activity. For her efforts in fighting the drug trade in Kansas City, Jean was honored with the Excellence Award for Advancing COMBAT Objectives given by the County Prosecutor, police agencies and community advocates. During her time in the prosecutor’s office, Jean also received honors as Rookie Attorney of the year and Victim Advocate of the Year.

Baker’s focus as prosecutor has been to make Jackson County a safer and better place to live, work and raise a family. Baker has set as an office goal to more closely connect the prosecutor’s office to the community and more smartly address and reduce crime, especially violent crime.

District Attorney
Mecklenburg County, NC

District Attorney Spencer B. Merriweather III has served as the chief prosecutor of Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), N.C. since 2017. He established a Violent Crimes Team, which focuses on shootings and felony assaults, and a Special Victims Team, a group of trauma-informed prosecutors and staff who seek justice for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. A champion of recruiting attorneys from under-represented communities, DA Merriweather also created the office’s Diversity and Inclusion Team. Before becoming District Attorney, he served as an Assistant District Attorney for more than a decade, prosecuting an array of cases. DA Merriweather earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mr. Steven Naugle is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA). He is responsible for maintaining and handling all accounting for APA’s expenses and grant management activities. The CFO also acts as APA’s Treasurer and is responsible for internal administrative functions and controls. Mr. Naugle will ensure APA’s accountability and transparency of all funds maintaining federal grant compliance for tracking, accounting, and reporting purposes. Mr. Naugle is a result driven professional with over sixteen years of experience in accounting, financing, budgeting, management and auditing for entertainment, non-profit, governmental, small business and financial organizations.

County Prosecutor
Wayne County, MI

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy received her undergraduate degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan, and her law degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law. In 1984 she began her legal career at the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, and in 1989, she became the first African-American selected by the office as a Special Assignment Prosecutor.In 1994, Worthy was elected to the Detroit Recorder’s Court (now the Wayne County Circuit Court). During the next nine years, she presided over hundreds of serious felony cases and was re-elected to the court twice by overwhelming margins.On January 6, 2004, Worthy came full circle in her career and returned to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, this time as the Wayne County Prosecutor, the first African American and the first female to hold the position. Worthy is an adjunct professor of criminal law at the University of Detroit/Mercy and has lectured at Harvard Law School, the University of Notre Dame Law School, Wayne State University Law School and the Universite des Sciences Sociales in Toulouse, France. Ms. Worthy is the mother of Anastasia, 16, Anniston and Alessandra, 4.

Justin Bingham
City Prosecutor
City of Spokane, WA

John T. Chisholm
District Attorney
Milwaukee County, WI

John J. Choi
County Attorney
Ramsey County, MN

Darcel Clark
District Attorney
Bronx County, NY

Hydee Feldstein Soto
City Attorney
Los Angeles, CA

Steve Kunzweiler
District Attorney
Tulsa County, OK

Leesa Manion
Prosecuting Attorney
King County, WA

Rachel Mitchell
County Attorney
Maricopa County, AZ

Mike Schmidt
District Attorney
Multnomah County, OR

Todd Spitzer
District Attorney
Orange County, CA