FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT
October 28, 2020 Ashlee Niedospial
ashlee@narrative-project.com 570.778.5916
New Haven – Connecticut Voices for Children today announced the appointment of two new board members, Leonard Jahad and Garth Harries. “Connecticut Voices for Children is working to ensure a brighter and more equitable future for all the state’s children and families. Doing so means undoing the enduring impact of racism, which requires our collective strength and spirit,” said David Nee, Board Chair of Connecticut Voices for Children. “On behalf of the Voices’ Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Leonard Jahad and Garth Harries to the Board. They have individually accomplished great things for the state’s young people, and we believe Voices will benefit tremendously from their committed hearts and acute minds.” “Garth Harries and Leonard Jahad have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to improving the well-being of Connecticut’s children and families,” said Emily Byrne, Connecticut Voices for Children Executive Director. “Their expertise and leadership will help move the work forward in an informed and values-driven way, and I am delighted to be working with them.” Jahad is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Violence Intervention Program (CT-VIP), where he supervises a team of outreach workers that mentor at-risk youth in New Haven and Hamden communities. A lifelong resident of the greater New Haven area, Jahad spent over 24 years in law enforcement, including stints in Connecticut Department of Corrections and community corrections prior to his retirement as Chief Probation Officer for the New Haven Adult Probation Office. “It is imperative for research to be community-informed and developed with an equity lens, which is why Connecticut Voices for Children is so critical to the statewide policy landscape today,” said Jahad, Connecticut Voices for Children new Board member. “I am excited to be part of this great organization as a new Board member.” Jahad also works within the New Haven Public School System as an Intervention Specialist and serves as President of the New Haven My Brother's Keeper Mentoring Program, as well as, a football coach for the New Haven Steelers of the Pop Warner Football Association. Garth Harries is currently the managing partner of the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), an arm of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that partners with education leaders to design—or redesign—districts, schools, and systems for rigor, relevance, and relationships. "All Connecticut's children deserve to reach their full potential but too many are held back by deeply ingrained systemic injustices and steady habits,” said Harries, Connecticut Voices for Children new Board member. “Connecticut Voices for Children ensures research and policies are inclusive and equitable—the stepping stone to just action. I am honored and eager to join alongside the entire Voices team in advocating for effective changes in service of our state’s future." Harries was formerly the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of New Haven Public Schools and, as such, was the architect of New Haven School Change, a nationally recognized school reform initiative designed to provide all students with an outstanding education preparing them to be the next generation of leaders, innovators and problem-solvers. During Harries’ tenure, the district’s graduation rate increased 20 percentage points, college enrollment went up in parallel, state test scores grew at twice the rate of the state, and the student population increased by more than 10 percent. Harries also co-founded Mindful, Inc, a technology start-up that catalyzed systemic change in the early childhood ecosystem by providing integrated developmental screening and promotion. Complete bios on Leonard Jahad, Garth Harries, and the full board can be found at the CT Voices website: https://ctvoices.org/our-team/#board. Connecticut Voices for Children 2020 Board of Directors:
Chairman: David Nee, Retired Philanthropy Leader
Vice-Chair & Interim Treasurer: Hector Glynn, The Village for Families and Children, Inc.
Secretary: Laine Taylor, The Village for Families and Children, Inc.
Jean Adnopoz, Past Chair, Yale University Child Study Center
Lynn Cochrane, Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc.
Garth Harries, International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE)
Leonard Jahad, Connecticut Violence Intervention Program (CT-VIP)
Marcella Nunez-Smith, Yale School of Medicine
Ann Baker Pepe, Retired Nonprofit Leader
Nancy Roberts, Retired Philanthropy Leader
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About Connecticut Voices for Children
Connecticut Voices for Children is a “think and do” tank working to ensure that Connecticut is a thriving and equitable state, and where all children achieve their full potential. In furtherance of its vision, Connecticut Voices for Children produces high-quality research and analysis, promotes citizen education, advocates for policy change at the state and local level, and works to develop the next generation of leaders.
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