News Release
McGlinchey Announces New Administrative Structure, Leadership Positions
Read Time: 3 minsMcGlinchey Stafford is pleased to announce administrative leadership changes, including three newly created administrative positions.
- Jeremy Marino has been named Chief Information Officer.
- Jessica VanTroost has assumed the role of Chief Strategy and Operations Officer.
- Marlo Brown has been named Director of Legal Support.
- Courtney Shafovaloff has stepped into the role of Employee Engagement Coordinator.
All four are promotions from within the firm and will report to the firm’s Executive Director. Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, Director of Legal Support, and Employee Engagement Coordinator are all newly created roles spanning the firm’s national footprint and 18 offices.
“Our business teams are the backbone of this firm, empowering our attorneys to do their best work through strong workflows, equipment, processes, and culture,” said Michael Ferachi, Managing Member. “We are excited to have such talent within the firm and grateful to these leaders for their commitment to their new roles.”
In the past five years, McGlinchey has continually refined its administrative processes, improving national coordination and equipping employees for success. The firm has achieved Midsize Mansfield Certification since 2023 and has implemented various updates to governance structure, leadership development, and succession planning. This includes investing in teams and systems that enable the firm’s employees to perform their jobs effectively and efficiently and advance in their careers.
“I’ve worked at McGlinchey for more than 20 years, and technology is developing at a pace faster than any I’ve seen in my career,” Jeremy said. “I’m proud to lead this team that is well-positioned to drive innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver cutting-edge solutions that empower our attorneys and staff to provide exceptional client service.”
Jeremy takes over leadership of 17 IT professionals from Thad Hymel, who is retiring after 20 years in the firm’s IT department. Jeremy has worked at McGlinchey since 2003, progressing from courier and intern to various IT positions. As security became a higher priority, Jeremy worked as System Administrator, Infrastructure Manager, and Information Security Officer before being named CIO. His experience spanning Hurricane Katrina to COVID-19 positions him to embrace new technologies, guard against threats, synchronize systems, and support teams. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certified by ISC2 and earned a B.S. in Information Systems and Decision Sciences (ISDS) from LSU.
“I am excited to step into this role, positioning our administrative teams to raise our standards to the next level,” Jessica said. “Leadership isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about building a team that believes they can find the answers together. We have a great team at McGlinchey, and I look forward to working alongside them to develop our processes and tools to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future.”
As Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, Jessica oversees legal support, recruiting, and HR, providing a unified approach to operational management. She has advanced through various administrative roles at McGlinchey since 2014, including Regional Administrator and Strategic Operations Administrator.
Jessica has held numerous leadership positions in the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), including currently serving as 2026-2027 President Elect. She previously served on the international organization’s Board of Directors and as President of the Jacksonville Chapter. Her leadership and volunteerism earned her the chapter’s ALA President’s Circle Award in 2020.
As Director of Legal Support, Marlo oversees staffing, capacity, and workflow across the firm to distribute work efficiently and assemble effective team structures. When team configurations shift, Marlo analyzes project and office needs and makes digestible recommendations to leadership regarding staffing, processes, and resources. This includes managing the firm’s SOS team, a firmwide secretarial network that provides all-hands-on-deck support for large projects or quick deadlines.
As an invaluable voice on the strategy side of administration, Marlo collaborates across functions like HR, IT, training, and marketing, to identify and develop solutions that keep McGlinchey at the forefront of cutting-edge legal performance. She has worked at McGlinchey for more than 20 years in positions including Legal Secretary, Regional Team Lead, and Regional Administrator.
In the new role of Employee Engagement Coordinator, Courtney fosters an engaging and productive workplace culture where employees feel valued, connected, and supported. Through this new role within the HR team, Courtney will lead McGlinchey’s “Ministry of Fun,” support seamless onboarding and departures, and plan and implement initiatives that enhance employee satisfaction and motivation.
Courtney returned to the firm in 2024 and has worked with McGlinchey for six years total. Before assuming her current role, she worked as Operations Project Coordinator and previously as Regional Team Lead.