Velvet McGowan was appointed as the PbS agency coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) in August of 2013 after serving as the PbS field liaison for DJJ. Previous to this appointment, Velvet served as the deputy chief for Security and Operations at DJJ with a security cadre of over 300 security officers. She began her career in 1985 as a juvenile correctional officer with SCDJJ and worked her way thru the ranks from security lieutenant to a major of the Internal Training Unit. In 2004, she was promoted as the facility administrator for the Female Offender Program.

In 2006, she was recognized as the “State Employee of the Year” by the Governor of South Carolina. She is a child’s advocate who believes that a positive caring adult can make a world of difference in the lives of our youths. Velvet is a national certified licensed trainer for One Circle Foundation and a certified public manager. She’s held state office as the vice president for the South Carolina Corrections Association and is a member of the Correctional Peace Officer Association and the American Correctional Association (ACA). Velvet sees her appointment to the PbS Learning Institute board as a privilege and an honor and looks forward to contributing greatly.