Page 7 - Delaware Lawyer - Spring 2023

Ava T. Carcirieri, Ph.D. currently serves as the Director of Spe- cial Court Programs for Delaware Family Court. In this position,
she leads court initiatives and projects that improve the Court’s response to domestic violence, child welfare, juvenile justice and diversion, use of technol- ogy, and employee wellness. She has worked for Delaware Family Court for eight years and has held data analyst
and coordination roles, which allowed her to become familiar with many civil court processes. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, with research specializations in Gender and Law. She conducted qualitative research at Family Court both as a graduate student and as an employee and continues to prioritize research partnerships to improve court response. Dr. Carcirieri serves on the Board of Directors for Trauma Matters Delaware, a nonprofit organization that acts as a central network of resources for orga- nizations that are working to become trauma-informed.
Erica Davis is the current Domestic Violence Coordinator for Delaware Fam-
ily Court and leads
several court improve- ment initiatives to improve the Court’s
response to domestic violence. Before moving to this position, she worked as
a domestic-violence victim advocate for many years, providing direct service to survivors and overseeing the statewide Domestic Violence Advocacy Program. As the Co-chair of Delaware’s Domestic Violence Task Force, she has contributed to various initiatives focused on improv- ing Delaware’s response to domestic violence. Her valuable experience on both sides of the Court positions her well for the development of improvement initiatives, and for helping Court staff and the Court’s stakeholders.
Gretchen Farrow is a security consulting professional with Accenture. She has worked on teams that oversaw vulnerability
management, eDiscovery collection and IT asset management. She has presented research on quantum key distribution and nanotechnology at the NanoWorld Con- ference. She has also presented research on generational privacy and security con- cerns at the ADMI Symposium. Farrow holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Cyber Security and a minor in Nanoscience from Hampton University.
The Hon. Gretchen C. Gilchrist has served as Commission- er on the Family Court since the Delaware Senate confirmed her
as a Commissioner in October 2016. Commissioner Gilchrist is a member of the Family Court Fatal Incident Review Committee and Council on Racial Equality (CORE). She graduated from Hampton University with a B.S.
in Economics and received her Juris Doctor from Widener University in 1991. In 2021, Commissioner Gilchrist completed the Digital Evidence in Court for Judges Course at the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI). The NCFI is a partnership involving
the U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security and the Alabama District Attorneys Association to provide computer forensics and digital evidence training to judges, prosecutors and law enforcement.
The Hon. James
G. McGiffin, Jr. has served Delawareans as a Family Court judge since October 2016, appointed by Governor
Jack Markell and unanimously confirmed by the Delaware State Senate.
Prior to his appointment, Judge McGif- fin enjoyed a career as a civil legal services lawyer, working for 27 years with Com- munity Legal Aid Society, Inc. in a variety of capacities, including Executive Director. Judge McGiffin has been recognized with several awards for his advocacy for people in poverty and for victims of domestic violence, including the Delaware State Bar Association’s New Lawyer Distinguished Service Award (1994) and Community Service Award (2008). Judge McGiffin earned his undergraduate degree from
the University of North Texas and his law degree from Boston College.
The Hon. Jennifer Ranji has served on
the Delaware Family Court since 2015, when she was appointed by Governor Jack Markell.
Judge Ranji serves as the Court’s domes- tic violence liaison judge. Prior to being appointed to the bench, Judge Ranji served as Cabinet Secretary for the Dela- ware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families. In that role, then-Secretary Ranji led a 1,200-person state agency overseeing Delaware’s foster care, juvenile justice and child behavioral health services. Judge Ranji received her B.A. from Rutgers University in 1991
and earned her law degree from Widener University School of Law in 1995. She currently chairs the Advisory Board for the Brandywine Valley SPCA.
Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (DVLS) is a pro bono legal services agency whose mission
is to match vulnerable
people confronted with civil legal issues and attorneys willing to volunteer to help with civil legal issues.
CONTRIBUTORS: Janine Howard-O’Rangers, Executive Director jhoward@dvls.org
Tom McDonough, Director of Recruitment tmcdonough@dvls.org
Jacki Chacona, Director of Pro Bono Projects jchacona@dvls.org
| CONTRIBUTORS |
SPRING 2023 DELAWARE LAWYER 5