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Interim director assembling staff for Family Justice Center

After a 28-year career in criminal justice, Joan Meacham knows a thing or two about Family Justice Centers.

That's why she was shocked to hear one was coming to Georgetown County.

"You usually hear about things like this in bigger areas," said Meacham, who was recently named the center's interim executive director. "I wouldn't have been surprised to hear one was coming to Columbia or Charleston. But Georgetown?"

The Maryville resident was also intrigued that the center is a grassroots effort led by a nonprofit, Safe Families of Georgetown County, instead of a governmental entity.

Meacham started working on the center as program manager, networking with agency partners and overseeing all aspects of the collaborative model for all the agencies that will be involved.

She stepped into her new role on Wednesday.

"Hopefully, this is a temporary position for me," Meacham said. "My job will be to get a lot of funding to hire full-time staff members to take over."

She wants to start with three: an executive director, office manager and program manager.

The center will also house staff from other agencies, such as the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office.

Meacham is applying for grants to create and fill those positions, and once they are filled and all the partners in the center are in place and working together, Meacham will step down, but continue to be involved with the center.

Meacham has a degree in psychology and a masters in counseling. She spent her career working with the state departments of Juvenile Justice and Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.

She started at a regional probation office, trained at the criminal justice academy and retired in 2003 as the state director or probation, parole and pardon services.

She then moved to Cherry Grove and worked briefly as the director of the Department of Juvenile Justice in Horry County.

Meacham also sells real estate in Horry County. Her husband, Tim Meacham, is legal counsel for Coastal Carolina University.

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