We Stand With You

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

What is taking place across our country is causing us to pause and focus on the extreme amount of suffering everywhere, including within our own community. We are anguished by the senseless killing of an unarmed African-American male, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, and the killings of David McAtee, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. This continues to happen in our country and it must be stopped.

It is clear our nation has fallen short on its promise of liberty and justice for all for far too long. It is one of many reasons we proudly joined 1,000+ leaders from across Central Ohio and advocated for the passage of Columbus City Council’s resolution declaring racism a public health crisis.

At COTA we have centered our efforts on how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion can lead to economic and social progress for our employees and customers. In these trying times we want to be even more clear – we are committed to dismantling centuries of structural and institutional racism that pollutes our society. Each of us; as individuals, as organizations and as a community – must come together collectively – to ensure the voices of those crying for justice have a safe place to be heard so that real change can happen.

To our impassioned community: We see you. We hear you. We stand with you.

                                                               
Joanna M. Pinkerton
COTA President/CEO