Governor Dannel Malloy has appointed Natasha Pierre as Connecticut's new state victim advocate, an office that represents crime victims and helps ensure they get the services they need.
Pierre, of Windsor, currently serves as policy and legislative director for the state's Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. She previously has served on task forces and councils dealing with human trafficking and domestic violence.
Pierre was appointed Monday to serve a four-year term in her new post. She succeeds Garvin Ambrose, who resigned last summer.
In addition to serving as an ombudsman for victims of crime within the criminal justice system, the victim advocate works with private and public agencies to enforce victims' constitutional rights.