Assistant Attorney General Stacey Pires Veroni has become the first woman to be named chief of the office’s criminal division, Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch announced this week. She succeeds Alan R. Goulart, who recently became a Traffic Tribunal magistrate.

“This is a proud day for our office, for Stacey Veroni –– who has earned this position by never shrinking from a difficult case or neglecting to support her colleagues who were handling difficult cases or going through tough times in their lives –– and for me personally,” Lynch said in a statement.

A graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School, Veroni tried more than 70 felony cases during the last 14 years. Veroni served on the Attorney General’s Domestic Violence Task Force and is an adjunct faculty member at Salve Regina University. In 2006, she received the Ada Sawyer Annual Award of Excellence from the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association.

Lynch also announced the promotion of Assistant Attorney General Bethany Macktaz Moore to Veroni’s former position as one of the criminal division’s three deputy chiefs. “Nobody who has seen Bethany in the courtroom would ever deny her passion for justice, tireless advocacy for victims, and ability to connect with jurors,” Lynch said. “This is a well-deserved promotion.”

The attorney general also announced the appointment of Special Assistant Attorney General Pamela E. Chin as chief of the narcotics and organized crime unit, where she served as a prosecutor from 2003 to 2005. “Pam is unquestionably one of our brightest attorneys,” said Lynch. “She also is one of our most tenacious, as her handling of the smoke-shop cases and many other difficult criminal cases attests.”