Reflecting and Giving Thanks
To my fellow CCA Colleagues:
Like so many of you, it’s hard to believe the holiday season is now upon us. During most of the year, we’re all so busy with our careers and commitments to our families and communities that it’s easy to lose pace – just as much as it can be challenging to keep track with the many moving pieces of our lives.
Here, in Nashville, we’ve enjoyed a very mild autumn so far, which makes it feel even more like Thanksgiving has sneaked up on us this year. As I do every year in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, I am reflecting extensively on all that I am most thankful for, as I am sure many of you also do during this time.
As always, I am very thankful for having a happy, healthy and supportive family. My wife, Carrie, my parents, my in-laws and many of my other relatives have been so supportive during this incredible period of growth and change in my personal and professional life. Watching my children achieve new milestones – seemingly every day – has also been especially gratifying and humbling. In fact, their small developmental benchmarks add new perspective to the big picture for me.
This time of year also makes me think about our company – now 26 years old and successfully having weathered major challenges during our history. CCA has experienced three recessions since our founding, and this current economic downturn has made the most substantial impact on our government partners. I am very thankful for the performance, loyalty and innovation all of you have exhibited during this difficult period. Thanks to you, our company has seamlessly navigated this tumultuous time. Without a doubt though, the storm clouds haven’t cleared yet on the economy, and we are sure to have more challenges. But having the right team in place to see us through the end of this recession is yet another reason to give thanks.
I am thankful for the continued confidence of our government partners. We wouldn’t be where we are today if our 19 state, three federal, and various local agencies didn’t have assurance in CCA or realize the benefits of our public service – the value we provide to hardworking taxpayers, the flexibility we offer budget-strapped systems, the solid careers we bring to appreciative citizens and much more.
I am thankful for all our dedicated men and women in uniform, serving in the United States military, who will be standing tall on posts – both foreign and domestic – on Thanksgiving Day. I am also thankful for the bravery of all veterans who have put the greatest sacrifice on the line for the good and security of our nation.
Finally, I am extremely thankful to be your leader. I have had the honor and privilege to see and visit with many of you during this year, either here at the Facility Support Center or while touring your respective facilities. I am proud of each of you and thankful that you’re on the CCA team.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Damon