Second chances was the theme of a keynote address given by LA City Council President Herb Wesson at the recent Playa Vista Job Opportunities and Business Services (PVJOBS) recognition luncheon.
“Lord knows that this country was not built to make sure Blacks and minorities get advantages,“ Wesson said. “Although this country was started because people wanted and people needed second chances…. It is incumbent upon us that we create our own second chances.”
Wesson has represented Council District 10 since 2005 and has been involved in politics for more than 30 years. He was chief of staff to LA Councilmember Nate Holden and later LA County Supervisor Yvonne Braithwaite Burke. He later worked in Sacramento, representing the 47th District, and served as the 65th speaker of the California State Assembly.
The councilmember admitted, though, that he was a poor student and nearly repeated the fifth grade, if it were not for a teacher who gave him a second chance and passed him to sixth grade.
“Everybody in this room should be able to go as far as your ability can take you,” Wesson told the luncheon audience. “And every time you take a step on that ladder of success, you have to turn around and bring somebody up with you.”
Wesson said he has hired several staff members who have been involved in the criminal justice system.
“They were afforded a second chance and they are making he most out of it,” Wesson said.
PVJOBS “Participant of the Year,” Jacques Holmes, appreciated being given a second chance, after serving time for a domestic violence charge.
“A lot of people when they hear domestic violence, they instantly think physical, but in my case it was verbal and I realize how it could be equally wrong,” Holmes said.
Earlier this year, Holmes enrolled in the PVJOBS Construction 101 pre-apprenticeship training, a three-week class which prepares students for high-demand careers in the construction industry.
Following graduation, he was hired by McCarthy Builders.
“After you go to prison, you don’t look at yourself in the same way any more,“ Holmes said. “But there is a light at the end of the tunnel, I promise.”
As a carpenter, Homes has helped in building apartment complexes and soccer fields and mentioned that he’s averaging more than 2700 steps a day at work.
“Thank you, McCarthy, because you all gave me a chance,” Holmes said as he accepted his award.
“If I can do it, you can too,” he told the audience, some of whom are currently involved in PVJOBS programs. “So keep your head up and keep pushing all day.”
McCarthy Builders was awarded a “Contractor of the Year” trophy for its role in hiring 25 PVJOBS participants to work on their projects.
Established in 1864, McCarthy is one of the oldest American-owned construction companies and has built facilities in nearly every state in a wide variety of markets, including healthcare, universities, laboratories, elementary schools, commercial, government and renewable energy.
McCarthy completed the renovation on the LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal in multiple phases while the terminal remained open and operational to international air travelers, airline employees and terminal staff.
The luncheon’s “Visionary of the Year“ trophy was given to Brad Carson, who has served as a Deputy Probation Officer for more than 25 years. In the 90s, Carson was assigned to drug raids on the Westside. At one of those raids, he confronted a woman who had a baby in diapers.
“She told me ‘You can through me into jail or prison, but can you help me got a job?’” Carson recalled. He later created the Jobs Create Peace Coalition.
Carson played an instrumental role in the design and implementation of PVJOBS more than 21 years ago. His negotiations with developers resulted in a Project Labor Agreement which guarantees that 10 percent of construction employment at the Playa Vista project be set aside for those considered “at-risk”—persons who have been homeless, chronically unemployed, or formerly incarcerated.
“A whole lot of people sacrificed to make this vision come to pass,” Carson said as he accepted his award. “This is quite an honor.”
