President Obama Nominates OVC Director

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. OVC provides substantial funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs-the lifeline services that help victims to heal. The agency also supports trainings designed to educate criminal justice and allied professionals regarding the rights and needs of crime victims.

On Dec. 22, 2009, President Obama nominated Beatrice Hanson as the next OVC Director. Her experience working with survivors of violence against women and children will bring a wealth of knowledge about ways to break the cycles of violence.

Beatrice Hanson, Nominee for Director, Office of Victims of Crime, Department of Justice
Bea Hanson is currently the Chief Program Officer for Safe Horizon, a crime victim assistance organization and non-profit agency located in New York City. She oversees a staff of more than 600 professionals who provide services to more than 350,000 people annually impacted by violence. Ms. Hanson joined Safe Horizon (formerly named Victim Services) in 1997 as the Director of Emergency Services. She went on to oversee the agency’s domestic violence, homeless youth, and child abuse programs, before being promoted to her current position in 2004. Ms. Hanson is an executive committee member of the Board of the New York City Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She has also served as adjunct faculty at the Hunter College School of Social Work and the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services. Prior to joining Safe Horizon, Ms. Hanson was the Director of Client Services for the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. She received a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a M.A. in Social Work from the Hunter College School of Social Work. In 2010, she is scheduled to receive a Doctorate in Social Work from the Social Welfare Program at the City University of New York.