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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Veronica Alston<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Make each moment count. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Don’t let yesterday be your tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Strand, Darcy <Darcy.Strand@ct.gov> <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, June 15, 2023 7:06 PM<br><b>To:</b> Strand, Darcy <Darcy.Strand@ct.gov><br><b>Subject:</b> CHRO Equity Study Focus Groups for Residents<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'>Good afternoon from the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'>As you may know, we are currently conducting an Equity Study across Connecticut Executive Branch Agencies. The Equity Study is a statewide review of Connecticut’s programs, policies, and processes aimed at making the state a more equitable place for all residents. More information can be found here:<span class=contentpasted0> </span></span><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#242424'><a href="https://portal.ct.gov/equitystudy"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0563C1'>https://portal.ct.gov/equitystudy</span></a></span><span style='color:#242424'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><b><span style='color:#242424'>As part of this initiative, we are inviting Connecticut residents to participate in focus groups in late June and mid-July.</span></b><span class=contentpasted0><span style='color:#242424'> </span></span><span style='color:#242424'>These are different from the Community-Based Organization focus groups we emailed about recently as these focus groups will be focused on the individual resident’s experience with receiving services from the state as opposed to the organization’s perspective. We are asking for your help to disseminate, distribute or post one of the attached flyers so that we can have a broad section of residents participating in the focus groups and in forwarding this invitation to any contacts you believe may be interested.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'>Please do not hesitate to contact Darcy Strand at<span class=contentpasted0> </span><a href="mailto:Darcy.Strand@ct.gov"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Darcy.Strand@ct.gov</span></a><span class=contentpasted0> </span>with any questions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xxxmsonormal style='background:white'><span style='color:#242424'>Thank you so much for your continued support in helping the CHRO make this study a success.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div id=Signature><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='background:white;border-collapse:collapse;text-align:start'><tr><td width=102 valign=top style='width:76.25pt;border:none;border-right:solid windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt'><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:#201F1E'><img border=0 width=88 height=88 style='width:.9166in;height:.9166in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:a27573dd-f389-4cdb-96c0-11e0fb481348" alt="Logo
Description automatically generated"></span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:#201F1E'><a href="http://www.ct.gov/chro" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#0563C1'>www.ct.gov/chro</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CTCHRO/" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.facebook.com/CTCHRO/. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style='color:black;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=30 height=30 style='width:.3125in;height:.3125in' id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:694bfc4e-c285-4c50-a247-8503cfd01aa7" alt="See the source image"></span></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ct_chro/" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.instagram.com/ct_chro/. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style='color:black;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=30 height=30 style='width:.3125in;height:.3125in' id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:101d4191-0963-4816-a139-89554aaae005" alt="See the source image"></span></a></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:#201F1E'> </span><span style='color:black'><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn9tiERvIeZqtxGd1i1xKiw" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn9tiERvIeZqtxGd1i1xKiw. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style='color:black;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=32 height=32 style='width:.3333in;height:.3333in' id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:b7b53ec0-9edc-4680-bf8b-87309168158e" alt="Logo
Description automatically generated"></span></a></span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=522 style='width:391.25pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt'><p><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:#201F1E'>Darcy Strand</span></b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;color:#1F4E79'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#404040'>(she/her/hers) </span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#201F1E'>Legislative and Administrative Advisor II</span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#201F1E'>Executive Office</span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#201F1E'>Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities</span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#201F1E'>450 Columbus Blvd, Ste 2</span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#201F1E'>Hartford CT 06103 | AA/EOE</span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#201F1E'>C: 959-282-2000</span><span style='color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#201F1E'><a href="mailto:darcy.strand@ct.gov">darcy.strand@ct.gov</a></span><span style='font-size:11.5pt;color:#201F1E'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>