Akilah Mance's career as a public servant spans across county and city government as well as the state legislature. She joined Houston Forensic Science Center in 2018 as the corporation’s in-house general counsel and was promoted to General Counsel & Director of Government Affairs in 2024. She serves as the chief legal officer for HFSC, providing legal advisement to the organization and its board of directors. In her role as director of government affairs, she helps lead a team focused on building meaningful relationships with local, state, and federal officials on a wide range of organizational priorities. Ms. Mance has over 16 years of experience in criminal law, municipal law, and general litigation. Previously, she served as a senior felony prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and as an attorney at a municipal law firm. Ms. Mance earned her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science and English from Rice University. She also completed coursework at Philipps Universität-Marburg in Germany and Oxford University in England.