Latisha Woodford is a highly experienced and detailed-oriented Compliance Specialist with over ten years of expertise in ensuring regulatory compliance within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Latisha graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University and attended the College of William & Mary Law School. While in law school she participated in the Special Education Advocacy Clinic. Upon graduating and passing the bar exam, she began her career with the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations (DPOR). During her tenure at DPOR she served as a Compliance Officer/In-House Investigator. Latisha analyzed and interpreted complex regulations and statues, conducted impartial interviews with licensees, complainants, and witnesses, issued Reports of Findings, and presented those findings in Informal Fact-Finding conferences to the relevant regulatory Board.
Prior to arriving at the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), Office of Dispute Resolution and Administrative Services, she was a Hearing & Legal Services Officer for the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). At VDSS, she adjudicated appeals in administrative hearings for VDSS Benefits and Services programs. Latisha issued complex decisions regarding regulatory compliance and was responsible for coordinating the appeals process with the local agency's Hearing Coordinators and Fraud Investigators.
Currently, Latisha has served as a Compliance Specialist with VDOE since 2021 where she continues to ensure regulatory compliance with federal and state special education regulations. Latisha resolves complaints alleging violations of special education laws by reviewing each case for sufficiency, collecting and maintaining a legal record, investigating the documents contained in the record, and issuing a Letter of Findings. She also develops guidance documents and provides technical assistance and training to local educational agencies and parents. Her role at the VDOE allows her to foster strong collaborative relationships with local educational agencies and families, which is a passion she developed while working in the Special Education Advocacy Clinic of William and Mary Law.