Judge
CurrentI have served as a family court judge for over 22 years and have been the Chief Judge of my court for the majority of that time. I have served as Chief Judge for the majority of my time on the bench, overseeing the Clerk’s office and the efficient management of court operations. I have also served as the lead judge for our community’s best practice initiatives in the areas of foster care, juvenile Justice and child support. I have played a lead role in the development of a number of programs including mental health intervention programs, alternative schools, truancy intervention and foster care best practices. I have also served as a mentor for newly appointed judges since the inception of that program in Virginia and have taught the pre-bench class on Virginia foster care law for more than 15 years.I have worked extensively on both the local and national level as a trainer/presenter, working with judges, lawyers, and other professionals regarding issues of child dependency, truancy, and effective collaboration, with a particular focus on judicial leadership, system reform and reducing the use of foster care and congregate care.