Brenda King Woodard serves as the General Counsel and Ethics Officer for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). Bringing more than 30 years of diverse legal experience across the public, private, non-profit, and quasi-governmental sectors—including both federal and Georgia state government—she serves as the agency’s chief legal strategist. In this role, she is responsible for developing and implementing legal strategies that support DBHDD’s vision and mission, serving as a vital legal resource in the fields of behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

As a member of the DBHDD Leadership Team, Woodard works collaboratively to help the agency navigate and thrive in a dynamic healthcare environment while ensuring compliance with evolving federal and state regulations. She oversees the Office of General Counsel, which encompasses the Office of Legal Services, the Office of Policy Management, and the Office of Settlement Coordination. A recognized authority in her field, she frequently speaks and teaches on complex legal and ethics matters, sharing her expertise with legal and healthcare professionals both throughout Georgia and on the national stage.

Woodard began her career in health and human services in 2004 as the chief legal officer for the former Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR). During her tenure at DHR, she received recognition for her work on major initiatives impacting the state, including the reorganization of Georgia’s health and human services agencies under Governor Perdue, the rewriting of the state juvenile code, and her contributions to the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Commission on Marriage and Family. At DBHDD, she is instrumental in strengthening the legal frameworks supporting major system transformation initiatives, and plays a vital role in supporting the state's opioid settlements and the creation of the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust.

An active member of the State Bar of Georgia, Woodard has served on numerous committees and commissions, including the Communications Committee, the Arc of Justice Steering Committee, the Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession, and Children and the Courts Committee. Notably, she is a former chairperson of the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency and frequently supports new bar members through the Beginning Lawyers Program. She is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, as well as Georgia’s state and federal courts. Nationally, she is a member of the Legal Division of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), where she previously served as the Southeast Representative.

Woodard graduated summa cum laude from Howard University, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance with a concentration in insurance. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

An Atlanta native, Woodard resides in Lithonia, Georgia, with her husband and their two daughters.