Roca, which has become a national model for its outstanding work in upending the cycle of incarceration and poverty of high-risk young people under the leadership of founder and CEO Molly Baldwin, celebrated its 35th anniversary at a breakfast May 12 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Boston.
This past year was especially noteworthy for Roca as the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Princess Kate, visited the agency’s headquarters in Chelsea on December 1. It will stand as one of the most memorable happenings in the city’s history.
The breakfast was emblematic of Roca’s excellence in all aspects of its finely-tuned organization – a wonderfully staged event with an impressive array of state and local officials and leaders in law enforcement, including Mass. Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who delivered the opening remarks, Boston Police Commissioner, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, and Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger, and US Marshall for Massachusetts Brian Kyes, former chief of the Chelsea Police Department.
Interim City Manager Ned Keefe, Supt. of Schools Dr. Almi Abeyta, State Rep. Judith Garcia, City Council President Leo Robinson, and City Councilors Calvin Brown and Todd Taylor were part of a large contingent of community leaders in attendance.
Eric Rodriguez, a 1988 participant in ROCA, was the master of ceremonies. Keynote speaker Brian McDonald, an award-winning writer and director and chief storyteller at the Belief Agency, delivered an inspiring address that highlighted his own childhood and adult experiences in encountering racism. McDonald received a prolonged ovation from the audience for his powerful speech.
During the program, Baldwin presented a special achievement award to retired Massachusetts Probation Commissioner Edward J. Dolan, a Chelsea native.