The Gideon’s Promise family is heartbroken over the passing of Mark Rochon, one of the most important contributors to the Gideon’s Promise story. We are also inspired by the life he lived and honored that he poured so much of himself into our shared mission over the last fifteen years.
Mark’s aura was infectious. We are grateful to have experienced that love, compassion, and commitment to justice that Mark exuded until the very end. Our community has benefited greatly from Mark’s dedication to bringing justice to places where it struggles to breathe. Mark’s spirit lives on through the thousands of people he touched. The world is a better place because of Mark Rochon.
Gideon’s Promise was two years old when it began the process of seeking its 501(c)(3) status. In 2009, Mark, who was already a prominent supporter of the organization, became its Board’s founding co-Chair along with Gary Kohlman. Mark spent eight years as co-Chair before his term expired. When Mark started as co-Chair, we had a single program that focused on public defenders in the southeast. During his initial tenure, Mark helped build an organization with a multi-program model touching public defenders all across the nation. There is no success we experienced during that time that Mark did not help achieve.
Mark began his second tenure as Chairman of the Board in 2023 – although he remained one of Gideon’s Promise’s staunchest supporters in the interim – and helped steer the organization through a critical transition. He served in that role for nearly three more years, until September 19, 2025. On that day, at our annual Fall Board meeting in Atlanta, Mark stepped down as Board Chair and passed the torch to his successor. That evening, he hosted a spirited dinner with Gideon’s Promise Board members and staff. He could not have been happier.
Mark began his legal career as a public defender with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. He continued in private practice, serving the same communities. When he transitioned to his position at Miller Chevalier, he never set aside the public defender spirit that made him such a ferocious, compassionate, and skilled advocate. Mark brought that heart and mindset to his work with Gideon’s Promise. In fact, he brought it to everything he did. It was part of his identity. Mark was a husband, father, friend, and public defender.
Gideon’s Promise lost a dear friend and a leader. Our hearts are with Mark’s family and friends; the DC Public Defender Service family; the Miller Chevalier family; and, most importantly, Mark’s wife, Page, and children, Georgia and Alex. May they take some comfort in knowing that Mark lives on through so many of us whom he has inspired and shaped.