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V

irginia

C

apitol

C

onnections

, S

pring

2015

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enforcement training academy directors, among others,” Ms. Ecker

says. “Together, we improved the investigation and prosecution of

child sexual abuse cases. I believe the skills required to work with

such diverse groups of professionals and stakeholders serve me well

today.”

Director Ecker has been instrumental in the design, development,

and implementation of state and local criminal justice, prosecution,

law enforcement, child welfare, and domestic and sexual violence

grant programs in whatever capacity she has served. She says her

early career work in the New River Valley in southwest Virginia

provided her a unique perspective on the needs of women in rural

communities in the Commonwealth.

Katya Herndon

Chief Deputy Director, Department of Forensic Science

Katya Herndon has a rare combination of experience: legal

counsel, media and public relations, and knowledge of forensic

science. After earning her Juris Doctor degree from the T.C. Williams

School of Law at the University of Richmond, Ms. Herndon began

her legal career at the Supreme Court of Virginia, clerking first in the

Chief Staff Attorney’s Office and then for Senior Justice Richard H.

Poff. She then became an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for

Henrico County. She entered the field of forensic science when she

was hired as the Department of Forensic Science’s first in-house legal

counsel.

From 2006 to 2014, Ms. Herndon was the Director of Legislative

and Public Relations for the Office of the Executive Secretary of

the Supreme Court of Virginia. “During that period, I served on the

Forensic Science Board as the designee for the Executive Secretary,

which allowed me to keep abreast of changes at the Department of

Forensic Science,” Ms. Herndon notes. “ The nearly eight years I spent

representing the judiciary before the General Assembly provided me

with extensive legislative experience and a strong understanding of

howVirginia government operates.”

Linda Jackson

Director, Department of Forensic Science

Director Jackson began her career with the Department of

Forensic Science in 1995 as a Controlled Substances Examiner.

She has held several positions since then, culminating with her

appointment as director in 2014. In her role as Chemistry Program

Manager, she managed all technical aspects of the controlled

substances, toxicology and trace evidence disciplines. She currently

serves on the National Commission on Forensic Science and co-

chairs the subcommittee on Accreditation and Proficiency Testing.

She earned her master’s degree in chemistry from the University of

North Carolina—Charlotte in 1999.

“I have a unique combination of experience working on the

bench as a drug chemist and working on national committees that

recommend policies and practices in the field of forensic science.

This has provided me the foundation, and the necessary perspective,

to lead DFS forward as its director,” Ms. Jackson says.

Judy Napier

Commissioner, ABC Board of Commissioners

Ms. Napier brings experience in both the public and private

sectors to her role as an ABC Commissioner. Before her appointment

in 2014, she served as Director of Business Development for CGI, an

international information technology company, where her accounts

focused on state and local government. Between 2002 and 2009, she

served Governors MarkWarner and TimKaine as Deputy Secretary of

Technology and Assistant Secretary of Technology, respectively. She

also has served as Legislative Director for the State Homebuilders

Association.

“State government service has given me great joy in that you can

quickly see the results of your work,” Ms. Napier says. “The dual

perspective of the private versus public sectors is very valuable. It has

been very rewarding. “

Brook Pittinger

Deputy Executive Director, Department of Fire Programs

As the Department of Fire Programs’ first female Deputy

Executive Director, Ms. Pittinger oversees budgeting guidance,

strategic planning, validation of programs, and coordination of

policy in an agency with a $30 million budget that employs 74 office

personnel across seven division offices. She first joined DFP in

2005 as the Quality Assurance Chief, serving also as Government

Affairs Manager and Director of Administration before her current

appointment. Before coming to the Commonwealth, she worked

for Kings Dominion as their international program supervisor and

for Newport News Shipbuilding as a business analyst. She holds a

master’s degree in public administration fromVCU.

“I have a natural passion for public service, which has grown

over the years,” Ms. Pittinger says. “The most rewarding thing for

me is to play a small role in helping to train our fire services heroes

and make sure we meet the fire services community’s ever-changing

and demanding needs. The ultimate goal is to ensure that everyone

comes home!”

Angela Valentine

Deputy Director, Department of Juvenile Justice

Thirty-eight years ago, Ms. Valentine started working directly

with kids in trouble as a probation officer with the Henrico County

Court Services Unit. Since then, she has devoted her career to

helping wayward young people follow a better path. Through her

years with DJJ, she has developed and implemented numerous

initiatives, programs and juvenile justice reform procedures based on

progressive evidence-based research within the juvenile justice field.

On the national level, Ms. Valentine has worked with the Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the Annie E. Casey

Foundation.

“Having spent my very rewarding career with one agency,

I believe my historical perspective on how DJJ has evolved as an

agency, plus the strong collaborative relationships with state and

national agencies I’ve developed over the years, serve me very well

in my current role,” Ms. Valentine says.

Tonya Vincent

Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

Twenty-four years of law enforcement experience, both as a

police officer and in command positions, made Ms. Vincent an

ideal candidate to oversee the Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Services

Council, the Department of Corrections, the Virginia State Police

and the Virginia Parole Board on behalf of Secretary Moran. Prior to

her appointment in 2014, she served in two key leadership roles for

the City of Richmond: Deputy Chief of Police with the Richmond

Police Department and Interim Director for the Department of Social

Services. Ms. Vincent’s career also includes serving 22 years with

the Arlington County Police Department, where she retired as a

captain. Her educational accomplishments validate her commitment

to continuous learning and development. She holds two master’s

degrees (Business Administration and Public Administration) from

Virginia Tech, and is currently enrolled in Virginia Tech’s Ph.D.

program.

“Throughout my career, I have always focused my efforts on

improving the lives of others,” says Ms. Vincent. “My leadership

style has enabled me to motivate, mentor, and empower employees

in order to achieve their goals and the mission of the agency. More

importantly, having the ability to cultivate strong relationships

with community groups from diverse socioeconomic, cultural

and ethnic backgrounds is essential to improving the lives of

your constituents.”

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