Victoria McCombs

Biography

Victoria McCombs is Program Specialist with the Global Center on Human Trafficking at Montclair State University. Her work centers on the intersection of education, workforce development, survivor-informed practice, and systems change. With more than ten years of experience in program development, training, technical assistance, and cross-sector collaboration, she has built her career around turning research, policy, and lived experience into practical programs, stronger systems, and meaningful opportunities for people and communities.

A first-generation American, first-generation college student, and native New Yorker, Victoria is currently completing her B.A. in Public Service and Administration at Kean University, with an expected graduation date of May 2027. Her professional path, together with her lived experience, has shaped a deep commitment to social justice, access, and the belief that people do their best work in environments where they are respected, supported, and given room to grow. She is particularly interested in adult education, workforce and leadership development, survivor-informed practice, and creating pathways for people with lived experience to participate meaningfully in research, policy, training, consulting, and professional roles.

Before joining Montclair State University, Victoria served as Diversion Project Coordinator at Covenant House New Jersey, where she supported the development and launch of the STAR Diversion Program in partnership with the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. She previously served as State Director of Anti-Human Trafficking & Pathway of Hope at The Salvation Army, where she developed and implemented a statewide anti-trafficking training and technical assistance initiative, led programming supporting families working to overcome intergenerational poverty, and collaborated across agencies and systems in response to complex trafficking cases.

Victoria has spoken and trained at statewide events, including the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Awareness Month program and the New Jersey Rural Health Conference. She has also developed and delivered human trafficking training for law enforcement professionals, with a focus on trauma-informed practice, victim-centered response, and practical application. She has contributed her lived-experience perspective to survivor roundtable discussions connected to New Jersey’s preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Victoria serves as an Affiliated Survivor Leader with Survivor Alliance and on the National USCRI TVAP & Aspire Survivor Advisory Board.

A consistent thread in Victoria’s work is the space between policy and practice. She is interested in how good ideas are translated into systems, programs, and organizational cultures that work better for the people they are intended to serve.

Outside of work, Victoria enjoys spending time outdoors with her spouse and teenage daughter, and much of their family life revolves around horses. Their family includes Cassius, a rescue off-track Thoroughbred, Penny Lane, an Australian Shepherd, and Ringo, their rescue cat.