This fiscal year has been busy for the VVF team. We have processed 1,469 applications, 5,310 emails, 2,353 faxes, fielded more than 8,000 telephone calls, and more. Despite the work, the resulting energy of this past year can be summarized in one concept: gratitude.

I am personally grateful to work alongside an incredible team of dedicated professionals who strive to do their best every day.

We are grateful for the victims we serve, for their patience, their persistence, and for reminding us why we do the work.

We are grateful for the victim witness advocates who work tirelessly to help victims navigate the complex and lengthy compensation process.

We are grateful for medical providers who provide detailed billing statements and are willing to reduce debt owed by victims of crime.

We are grateful for the forensic nurses who delicately collect evidence while reassuring sexual assault victims.

We are grateful for law enforcement personnel who respond to crimes and forward their reports so that we can determine eligibility.

There is so much to be grateful for.

For those of you who are only familiar with the VVF team, it is important to know that VVF does not work in a silo. We are part of a larger agency that includes other dedicated professionals who support the compensation process.

VVF relies on the Commission’s Financial Services Department to review and approve awards, enter award data in the Commonwealth’s financial systems, manage the fund, and maintain our budget.

VVF would have to resort to paper and pens if not for the brilliant technology experts in our Information Systems Department, the Project Management Office, and the Help Desk.

Every new VVF team member comes aboard because of the Commission’s dedicated Human Resources team that manages our recruitment process.

Every piece of VVF mail that is issued, received, to include checks, is carefully handled by the Commission’s Correspondence Management Department.

And with the support of our various leaders and team members, led by the Executive Director and Commissioners, we are empowered to thoughtfully carry out our statutory responsibilities.

Shannon Dion
Director, Virginia Victims Fund