Gigi Peters, executive director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock MidSOUTH Center, was recently appointed to the Arkansas Task Force for the Prevention of Human Trafficking.

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel informed Peters of the appointment in a letter dated Oct. 25.

In the letter, McDaniel cited the Human Trafficking Act of 2013, which established a task force to address all aspects of human trafficking, including sex and labor trafficking of U.S.-born residents, as well as foreign nationals.

The act details the duties of the task force, which includes among other things, sharing data among government agencies in a manner to protect victims’ privacy, establishing policies to help non-governmental agencies prevent human trafficking, and developing training for criminal justice system professionals.

The task force will hold its first meeting Nov. 19, at the state Capitol.

UALR’s MidSOUTH, with five training locations across the state, provides leadership, training, and support in the social work areas of addiction, child welfare, technology, distance learning, and organizational development. Peters joined MidSOUTH in July.

She is the former executive director of Women and Children First in Little Rock, where she was charged with leading all operations and programs focused on providing assistance to battered women and their children.

Prior to that, Peters was clinical and development coordinator for Kaleidoscope Grief Center in Little Rock, where she facilitated programs for children, teens, and families coping with critical illness, grief, and bereavement.

She has also served in a variety of capacities for other nonprofits, including Centers for Youth and Families and Arkansas Voices for the Children Left Behind.

Among her numerous professional affiliations, Peters is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and Central Arkansas Team Coalition for Homeless.