A message to CCT friends and supporters from Board Chair Marc Jarmosevich

This month I’ve stepped into the role of board chair at CCT. I want to thank John Tate for his years of leadership, dedication to our clients and staff, and the impact he has made.

It is a great honor to begin this journey when CCT is on a solid foundation and under the strong leadership of Patrice Funderburg. It’s also a tremendous responsibility to do so now when there’s an increasing spotlight on the systemic racism that’s pervasive throughout our country and institutions.

For almost 50 years, CCT has supported generations of people impacted by incarceration, many of whom are the victims of systemic racism in our education, health care, housing, corporate and legal/judicial systems.

As a white man in America benefiting from these systems, it’s easy to find the words to condemn racism and craft a token response. It’s difficult, however, to call out instances of conscious or unconscious bias that occur every day. Identifying actions I can take to help dismantle systems that aren’t broken but instead operating as designed will be challenging. But I must do so because words are not enough. I must act. We must act.

These are trying times for our community. As I begin my new role at CCT, I choose to see it as an opportunity for change. At CCT, we will act to strengthen our commitment to individuals and families impacted by incarceration in our community.

Our clients are disproportionately persons of color because of the rules, policies and traditions in place. I commit to working with our partners across nonprofits, government agencies, and the corporate and small business community to break up those norms.

I call on CCT friends and supporters to join me in actively working toward the positive change we need in America today.

Thank you for your continued partnership and words of encouragement. I look forward to the change we can drive together.