VADOC Announces Lucinda Childs-White, Marcus Elam as Deputy Directors

Agency News

March 03, 2026

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA — Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) Director Joseph W. Walters today announced the promotion of Lucinda Childs-White to the position of Deputy Director for Administration and Marcus Elam to the position of Deputy Director for Community Corrections, effective March 4, 2026.

Childs-White began her career with the VADOC in 2011 after spending 22 years at the University of Virginia in human resources leadership roles. She served as a Human Resources Officer at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women and Human Resources Manager Senior over recruitment, staffing, and compensation at VADOC Headquarters before being named Chief Human Resource Officer in 2019.

Childs-White is certified as a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources through the Society for Human Resource Management, a Jon Gordon Certified Positive Leader, and has completed Virginia Commonwealth University’s Commonwealth Management Institute and Virginia Executive Institute programs. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from St. Paul’s College and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Averett University.

Elam began his career with the VADOC in 1993 as a volunteer Probation & Parole Officer in District 6, Suffolk, then was promoted to Probation & Parole Officer at District 30 Hampton the following year. He then advanced through a range of leadership roles, including Senior Probation Officer at Southampton Intensive Treatment Center, Treatment Program Supervisor at Indian Creek Correctional Center, Deputy Chief and Chief Probation & Parole Officer at District 31, Chesapeake, and District 3, Portsmouth, Regional Administrator in the Eastern Region for Community Corrections, and Regional Administrator for Institutions across all three VADOC regions.

In 2023, Elam became the agency’s Corrections Operations Administrator and Legislative Liaison, overseeing several statewide corrections initiatives and serving as the primary liaison and contact for members of the Virginia General Assembly.

Elam has a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Pfeiffer University.

“Ms. Childs-White and Mr. Elam both bring a tremendous body of work to their new roles at the VADOC,” said Director Walters. “They are correctional professionals who have consistently demonstrated the importance of ensuring public safety for all Virginians, operating professionally and ethically, exercising accountability, and putting people first throughout their careers. I am excited to work with them in their new positions as our agency continues to strive to create a safer Virginia through lasting public safety.”

About the VADOC:

 The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) is the largest state agency with more than 11,000 employees across the Commonwealth. We operate secure facilities and probation & parole offices to provide care and supervision for inmates under state custody.

Virginia currently has the nation's lowest recidivism rate at 17.6%.