Attorney General Holder Welcomes Judge Susan B. Carbon as Director of Office on Violence Against Women

February 15, 2010 - Attorney General Eric Holder today welcomed the confirmation of Judge Susan B. Carbon of Concord, N.H., as the new Director for the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women. Judge Carbon was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week

“I am pleased to welcome Judge Carbon to the Justice Department and to the Office on Violence Against Women,” said Attorney General Holder. “Bringing greater public awareness and strengthening programs to fight sexual and domestic violence, dating violence and stalking is a top priority for the Department. Judge Carbon will bring strong leadership to this important office and to the Department’s mission to end violence against women."

The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides national leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending sexual and domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Currently, OVW administers two formula grant programs and 17 discretionary grant programs, which were established under VAWA and subsequent legislation. Since its inception, OVW has awarded nearly $4 billion in grants and cooperative agreements to communities throughout the nation.

In September 2009, the Department of Justice launched a year long commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the signing of the VAWA to raise public awareness of violence against women, and to build and strengthen relationships between and among federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement, advocacy, courts and victim services communities.

Judge Susan Carbon was first appointed to the bench in 1991, and has served as Supervisory Judge of the New Hampshire Judicial Branch Family Division from 1996 until 2010. She is a member of the Governor’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence and chaired New Hampshire’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee. Judge Carbon also served as President of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) from 2007 to 2008.