Mary Vail Ware, MSW, PMP, is a North Carolina resident and formerly served as the Senior Director of Justice and Victim Services at ICF International, where she led a $75 million criminal justice portfolio. Her work has spanned national and local initiatives, including training centers for law enforcement, prosecution, corrections, and victim services under the U.S. Department of Justice. She also oversaw the National Elder Fraud Hotline.
As a Subject Matter Expert in gun and mass violence response, Mary Vail continues to support nonprofit and government agencies in building innovative partnerships and expanding their capacity to serve communities through her role with OVC TTAC.
Her career bridges criminal justice and human services, with a focus on building community resiliency. She has advised the North Carolina Supreme Court and New Hanover County government and played a key role in national policy and program development. Before joining ICF, Mary Vail served as Director of Programs and Community Outreach at the Virginia Office of the Attorney General. There, she launched the Respect Richmond campaign, which led to a 16% drop in gun violence, and spearheaded a nationally recognized human trafficking prevention initiative.
Earlier, she directed the Virginia Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund, a $16 million program supporting victims of violent crime. Mary Vail began her career in the nonprofit sector as Executive Director of the Quin Rivers Agency for Community Action, where she tripled funding and launched programs in family violence prevention, child health outreach, early childhood education, and housing. Her work has long been grounded in coalition-building with local governments, faith-based groups, and tribal nations.