Dear Colleagues,

I write today to share the bittersweet news that Leslie Gray, Vice President of Human Resources, will be leaving CCA for another opportunity effective August 20. While her departure is a great loss for CCA, I’m thrilled that Leslie will be advancing her career in an exciting new role as Vice President of HR Operations at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a mission-driven organization devoted to leveraging technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges in the areas of science, education, and justice and opportunity. 

Leslie joined CCA in 2015 as Associate Vice President of Human Resources, and in 2017 was promoted as the first black, female member of the Senior Cabinet. In this critical role, Leslie brought a new level of professionalism to CCA’s HR services, building a talented team and infrastructure to meet the college’s human-resource needs. She conducted the college’s first comprehensive compensation study and implemented a multi-year plan to bring salaries to market. She has been a strong advocate on behalf of CCA’s employees, establishing a fund to support staff wellness initiatives; promoting staff and faculty professional-development efforts; and most recently, working with her team and Dr. Jimmie Turner to establish emotional support groups centered on the concept of compassionate witnessing to support employees in the midst of the pandemic and racial violence.

As a leader of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, Leslie helped introduce the college’s first required unconscious bias online learning tool. She revamped CCA’s Title IX policy and process, reestablished a thriving Staff Advisory Committee to cultivate staff culture, and provided consultation and coaching to the executive team, leaders, and employees across the college. 

I have had the opportunity to work closely with Leslie as she has served as a valuable and respected member of CCA’s leadership team, and her intelligence, compassion, and calm good humor have been especially critical throughout the extraordinarily difficult period we are currently navigating. On behalf of CFO Ed Prohaska and the entire CCA leadership team, I wish Leslie nothing but the best as she moves on to this important next step in her career. 

Ed and I are also pleased to announce that Maira Lazdins has graciously agreed to step into the role of Interim Associate Vice President of Human Resources. Since joining CCA nearly four years ago, Maira has led core HR functions across the college, including partnering with Leslie on the college-wide compensation study and many other initiatives. She has developed and implemented staff trainings, and has served as a leader on the Staff Advisory Committee, working in partnership with others to develop staff appreciation, staff advocacy, and community engagement initiatives that contribute to the culture at CCA. She is excited to continue this work, particularly with regard to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. 

While the pandemic prevents us from gathering in person to express our heartfelt appreciation to Leslie for the extraordinary leadership she has brought to CCA, I encourage you to send her a note or message. Leslie, we wish you all the best—we will miss you!

With gratitude,

Steve