Welcome to a New Life Names First Executive Director

(Findlay, OH-5/4/20) Welcome to a New Life has announced the hiring of its first executive director, Carla Benjamin. She will be responsible for overseeing the mission of the organization which is to provide mentorship and resources for people who are involved in the Hancock County criminal justice system, helping these individuals live crime-free, drug-free, productive lives. The organization received its IRS charity status in June of 2019 and has been matching mentors to inmates since that time. To date, the organization has mentored 15 people involved in the local justice system. Most of the mentees have made great strides in their lives and are continually improving their personal situations.

Benjamin comes to the organization with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Findlay in Spanish Business with a minor in business administration. She is currently a co-chair of the Opiate Task Force Community Awareness Committee through the ADAMHS board. She is a member of the Cultural Humility/Health Equity Delegation, a committee that she initiated by gathering others in the community with this interest. The delegation is advocating to provide advocacy a more diverse and inclusive welcoming community. She is also board president for Cancer Patient Services.

Benjamin was most recently a business relations director in sales for MLS Systems. Before that, she was members services coordinator at the Findlay-Hancock Chamber of Commerce. Benjamin was a marketing consultant with WFIN/WKXA radio.

“We are so excited to have grown to the point of being able to hire an executive director. This was made possible by so many generous individuals in our community. We believe that Carla’s experience, passion and skills will allow her to lead the organization toward sustainability and fulfilling our mission,” said Stan Kujawa, co-founder and board president.

Due to the current stay-at-home orders, the organization has developed an online orientation for people interested in becoming a mentor. Mentors are still able to provide mentorship by phone and computer. To learn more about becoming a mentor or other aspects of the organization, visit http://welcometoanewlife.org. Benjamin can be reached at director@welcometoanewlife.org or 419-455-6082.