Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announced today that Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura is joining his staff to serve in the position of Special Counsel.
Previously, Judge Bonaventura spent more than 30 years in judicial roles in Lake County. She worked as Magistrate in the Juvenile Court for more than a decade until 1993, when then-Governor Evan Bayh appointed her to serve as Senior Judge of the Lake County Superior Court, Juvenile Division.
In 2013, then-Governor Mike Pence appointed Judge Bonaventura to serve as Director of the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS), which works to ensure the financial support of children and, foremost, to protect children from abuse and neglect. Judge Bonaventura served in this role until December of 2017.
She joins the Office of the Attorney General effective Monday, January 22.
“I’m extremely pleased to bring aboard a leader of such caliber as Judge Bonaventura,†Attorney General Hill said. “Her breadth of experience and depth of knowledge will continue to prove indispensable assets to the citizens of Indiana as she steps into this next phase of her distinguished public service.â€
Judge Bonaventura expressed eagerness to begin her new role.
“I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with AG Hill on continuing the fight against the opioid crisis and tackling the many challenges facing Hoosiers and their families,†she said.
Judge Bonaventura has led or served on many boards and commissions as part of her advocacy for children. In addition, she has received many awards and citations for her work. A Lake County native, she earned a Juris Doctor degree from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, and received an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters degree from Marian University.
