Our Leadership Team
Aramis Ayala (Executive Director)
Aramis Ayala is an award-winning civil rights advocate, cancer survivor, and legal studies professor who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice. She has witnessed the far-reaching, multigenerational effects of systemic inequality and began her commitment to criminal justice reform early in life—a commitment that deepened when she relocated from Saginaw, Michigan to Florida in 2001. This marked the beginning of her work with communities left behind by the system. Having seen the consequences of structural inequality over her nearly two decades of public service, Ayala has refused to stay silent in the face of inhumanity, injustice, and systemic racism. In 2022, Ayala was named Champion of Justice by Harbor House of Central Florida for her work in the fight against domestic violence. She also received the NAACP Civil Rights Champion of Justice Award in 2017 for her leadership in the movement to abolish the death penalty.
Prior to joining FJP, Ayala served as an Assistant Professor for the University of Central Florida’s Legal Studies Department, and as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Florida A&M University College of Law. She also served as General Counsel for the Formerly Incarcerated, Convicted People and Families Movement (FICPFM) – a national movement led by directly impacted people advocating against the harms of mass incarceration and systemic racial and economic disparities in the United States – during that time.
Ayala made history as the first Black woman to receive a major party nomination for State Attorney General in Florida’s history, winning the Florida Democratic Party’s nomination in 2022. Six years earlier, she also made history as Florida’s first Black State Attorney when she was elected State Attorney for Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, where she served from 2016 to 2021. During her tenure, Ayala oversaw a $30 million budget and managed operations across two counties, five offices, and more than 400 employees—including victim advocates, sworn investigators, and 180 prosecutors. A former public defender, Ayala served in the Office of the Public Defender for Orange County, Florida, from 2004 to 2012.
Ayala has consistently made local and national headlines for her courage and proven leadership during her years in public service. Her insights have been featured in leading national news outlets including CNN, NBC News, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Politico. She is also a former legal analyst for Court TV and FOX 35 News in Orlando, Florida.
Ayala previously served as Regional Director for the National Bar Association and Chair of its Pro Bono and Public Service Committee. Ayala is also past president of several local and state bar associations and a former Chairperson for the Citizens Police Review Board for the City of Orlando. Ayala earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan, an M.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida, and a J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, cooking, and traveling.
Christopher Gray (Director of Communications)
Christopher Gray joins FJP as a seasoned communications strategist with extensive leadership experience in nonprofit communications and as an advocate for major reforms to the American criminal legal system. Christopher previously led the communications team at Alliance for Justice where he directed many successful campaigns helping former public defenders, civil rights experts, and employee side labor lawyers gain confirmation for lifetime appointments on the federal bench, including a record number of former public defenders who are now serving as federal district court judges, circuit court judges, as well as a sitting justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. As a Director in the Raben Group’s Media & Communications Practice, Christopher led major communications campaigns for justice reform clients including the ACLU’s National Prison Project, The Sentencing Project, and Unlock the Box where he helped his clients advocate for historic legislation banning prolonged solitary confinement in the State of New York, abolishing felony voter disenfranchisement, and holding national leaders accountable for the appalling health and safety conditions in federal, state, and local jails and prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic. Christopher also previously led the communications team for the State Energy & Environmental Impact Center at NYU School of Law, where he worked with state attorneys general around the United States to uphold our nation’s bedrock environmental laws and regulations. He received his BA in History and Political Communication at James Madison University, and his MA in Communications & Rhetorical Studies from Syracuse University.