Virginia Coto

Virginia P. Coto, Esq. is the Director for the Miami Office of Church World Service, Inc. Church World Service (CWS) is a non-profit humanitarian agency that provides emergency relief assistance, social and economic development support, and refugee services to vulnerable people in nearly 80 countries around the world. As the Director, she is responsible for overseeing complex programs related to the social service and legal services provision to the broader immigrant community in South Florida, She brings a wealth of experience in refugee programs, policy and administration. Under her oversight, the CWS Miami Office served over 18,000 immigrants in 2006. Prior to her joining CWS, Ms. Coto worked on behalf of victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking at the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). Also with an echoing green fellowship, Ms. Coto founded and directed Lucha: A Women's Legal Program at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center. Lucha provid