ABOUT CACVA
Our Staff
The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia employs a team of experienced professionals dedicated to serving the needs of its member centers through advocacy, collaboration, funding, networking, evaluation and assessment, training, technical assistance, and more.
Janice Dinkins-Davidson
Executive Director
Janice has been directing human services agencies for 20 years, 17 of those years with Children’s Trust in Roanoke, VA. In those 17 years, she has established the Child Advocacy Center in Roanoke and formed multidisciplinary teams for the investigation of child abuse in the ten jurisdictions it serves. She also has continued to build on the child abuse prevention efforts that were the foundation of the organization, led a successful merger with the Court Appointed Special Advocate organization, facilitated the “adoption” of the Child Advocacy Center in the New River Valley, and expanded Children’s Trust services to include family mediation. Together, these programs form the continuum of programs that comprise Children’s Trust. Janice has been called a “capacity building” executive, and an “agent for change.” Her strengths are connecting with colleagues to improve systems for kids, staying true to the vision of eliminating the trauma of child abuse, and guiding resources toward that vision. Her passion is making kids’ lives better.
Email Janice: Janice.Dinkins-Davidson@cacva.org
Maggie Cullinan
Program Director
Maggie Cullinan is the Program Director for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Virginia, where she provides training and technical assistance to the 19 Child Advocacy Centers and Multi-Disciplinary Teams. She has more than 25 years of experience in the criminal justice field as an IPV outreach counselor and legal advocate, probation officer and victim witness director. For her work on behalf of victims, she was awarded the first Unsung Hero Award from Virginia’s Attorney General. She was also appointed to the Governor’s Task Force on Combatting Campus Sexual Assault. She has a passion for improving process and response for crime survivors.
Email Maggie: Maggie.Cullinan@cacva.org
Emily Simpson
Program Specialist MDT/FI
Emily has spent the last 11 years serving Southwest Virginia’s most vulnerable
populations. She joined the CAC movement in 2017 as a Forensic Interviewer and New River Valley Coordinator with the Children’s Trust Children’s Advocacy Center in Christiansburg, Virginia. In her time with Children’s Trust, she conducted over 1,000 forensic interviews of children, testified as an expert witness in multiple courthouses, and facilitated multidisciplinary teams in five jurisdictions. Emily was the recipient of the Clarine Spetzler Guardian Angel Award in 2023 for her contributions as a forensic interviewer and expert witness in a ground-breaking court case involving child sexual abuse. Emily is passionate about empowering forensic interviewers and encouraging multidisciplinary teams according to best practice standards in order to best serve the children and families in our communities.
Email Emily: Emily.Simpson@cacva.org
Becky Maas
Operations Coordinator
Becky joined CACVA in 2016. In her role as Program Assistant, she works with the Executive Director and Program Director to support Virginia’s CACs through assisting with statewide trainings and the annual conference.