Seven lawyers with experience ranging from appellate practice and real estate law to commercial litigation and employment matters have joined the FFLA's (Funding Florida Legal Aid) board of directors, bringing new leadership to the organization responsible for expanding access to civil legal services for Floridians of limited means.

The Florida Bar appointed Mayanne Downs and Bryan Gowdy to three-year terms. Downs, a former Florida Bar president, is founding shareholder at DownsAaron in Orlando. Gowdy is a board-certified appellate lawyer at his practice Creed & Gowdy in Jacksonville.

The Florida Supreme Court appointed Christian Waugh and Josh Webb to three-year terms as well. Waugh is founder of Waugh PLLC in Orlando. He is board certified in real estate law. Webb is a shareholder with Lawson Huck Gonzalez in Tampa, where he practices in commercial litigation and professional liability matters.

Florida Bar President-elect Paige A. Greenlee of Tampa will serve as a designated director. Greenlee previously served two terms on The Florida Bar Foundation’s board, ending in 2019. Bar President Michael Fox Orr delegated his seat to M. Scott Thomas. Thomas is a partner at Burr & Forman in Jacksonville where he practices in commercial litigation. Immediate past Bar President Rosalyn Sia Baker-Barnes delegated her seat to Alison F. Smith, a partner with Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman in Ft. Lauderdale. She focuses her practice on labor and employment and regulatory matters.

FFLA has six designated directors, including the president of Florida Legal Services, the president, president-elect and immediate past president of The Florida Bar, and two judicial officers. Eighteen at-large directors serve a maximum of two three-year terms, with one-third selected by the Florida Supreme Court, one-third by The Florida Bar Board of Governors, and one-third by FFLA's board. Up to four public members also serve three-year terms.

Their terms began July 1.