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considered running for lieutenant governor of Ohio, among other
options. But he learned that the Hartford Foundation was looking
for a new leader.
He was intrigued. He'd worked with foundations before and found
them effective and more flexible than government bureaucracy,
"though bureaucracy is necessary." With $1.1 billion in assets, he
felt the Foundation could make a serious impact, so he applied.
e board wanted to get the Foundation more involved in issues
of racism and equality. To that end, the search committee was
looking for a "change agent," says Price, "a good listener with solid
executive skills who could relate to all communities."
Has Williams been that person?
"Absolutely," says Price, who is the founder and managing partner
of Fairview Capital Partners Inc., an investment firm based in West
Hartford. "Jay is confident but open to taking constructive criticism.
He is never intimidated, and he doesn't get overly frustrated. He is a
great shepherd of his organization."
And he has pointed the Foundation toward the problems of social
and economic mobility and structural racism, that is, policies such
as housing and job discrimination and disinvestment that have put
urban and predominantly minority communities behind the eight
ball. As Williams says, the data bear this out.
Citing census data, the Foundation reports that one in five Black
and Latino children in Greater Hartford live in poverty, compared
to one in 100 white children. e region's median income for white
households ($84,000) is twice that of Latino households ($42,000)
and more than 1.5 times that of Black households.
Some 27% of Latino residents and 22% of Black residents of
"When data
shows that
part of the community
is being underserved,
in job opportunities,
housing, health care,
then attention must be
paid." – Jay Williams
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