CCT! Staff
Kim Caraganis, Executive Director
"At CCT we believe that every young person is important no matter what they have in their history or have done to get them on our radar. As adults it is up to us to make sure that our youth feel valued and have the support and opportunities they need to succeed." ~ Kim
2011 marks Kim Caraganis’s twenty-second year with Chatham County Together!, and her 14th year as executive director. Her responsibilities include fundraising, grant writing and budget management; oversight and involvement in all program components; supervision of the agency’s staff; and management of local, state, federal and foundation grant reporting. In addition, Kim serves as a liaison to volunteers, families, grantors, community and state agencies and the board of directors. She is Co-Chair of the Chatham County Collaborative and represents CCT! on the Orange-Chatham Juvenile Crime Prevention Council as well.
Pam Johnson, Operations Manager
A 30-year resident of Chatham County, Pam Johnson has devoted the past decade to her work at CCT! As operations manager, she is responsible for financial tracking of all funding sources, serves as personnel/human relations liaison, manages physical operations and fulfills a major role in fundraising.
Originally a volunteer mentor, Pam shares from firsthand experience that “CCT! brings adults--who are willing to show up, be accountable and pass on this example—in contact with kids of promise. And I believe that we are here because there were adults along the way who believed in us.”
Roy Barnes, Youth
Advocate, United Way Program Manager
When he answered an ad in the Chapel Hill Advocate for a job at Chatham County Together!, Roy Barnes had no way of knowing he would not only win that position, but still be “on the job” as a vital member of the CCT! team seventeen years later…and still loving the close relationships with volunteers and families.
Roy is responsible for monitoring United Way mentor/mentee matches, recruiting and training volunteers, providing activities for volunteers and their matches, and giving support to families whose kids are in the program as well. He is recognized and respected for truly being part of the “backbone” of CCT!.
Shirille Lee, Director, Mentoring Children of Prisoners
shirille@chathamcountytogether.org
Shirille Lee first became involved with CCT! as a volunteer mentor, going on to serve on the Board of Directors before coming on board full-time as a staff member some 12 years ago. In that time she has served in a variety of positions, from Governor’s One-on-One Coordinator to Volunteer and Youth Services Coordinator, bringing her infectious enthusiasm to every task.
In her current mission as MCP Program Manager, she is guided each day by a favorite quote from an unknown source: “To the world, you are one person—but to one person, you could be the world.” Shirille is the proud mother of two lovely, lively foster-to-adopted daughters, ages 5 and 6.
Gwen Overturf, Coordinator, Juvenile Community Service and Restitution
gwen@chathamcountytogether.org
For 30 years, Gwen has been working and playing with “young’uns”. Her first experience as a kindergarten assistant teacher at the University of Chicago Laboratory School where she earned her Masters in Education started the ball rolling.
After 10 years of teaching at an alternative school in North Chatham, Gwen grabbed the opportunity to work at CCT! as a teacher in Chatham New School. After that, she co-coordinated the Graduation Project program as she matched high school seniors with mentors to guide them towards completion of the Graduation project. The sheer determination and dedication of Chatham mentors towards their students served as a beacon to her throughout this project.
Now Gwen embarks on a new adventure. She’ll be finding work service opportunities for youth who have committed a crime. Gwen is looking forward to continue the weaving the Chatham adult community with Chatham youth into relationships that promote discovery and success. Gwen feels this is a wonderful way to continue her connection with youth and their families.
Maria Soto, Family Advocate,Outreach, Hablando Claro
maria@chathamcountytogether.org
It has long been said that “necessity is the mother of invention.” Twenty years ago, it was necessary for Maria Soto to become a very inventive mother indeed in order to successfully advocate for her own child’s individual needs within the school system. It wasn’t long before friends and neighbors began to come to Maria seeking her help for their children…and she found herself set upon a lifetime path of family advocacy.
Having joined CCT! nearly ten years ago, Maria continues to serve Chatham’s Latino community in her current role as coordinator of Hablando Claro/Plain Talk and family advocate, combining her passion for its mission with generous helpings of patience and persistence.
Hugo "Mano" Gallegos, Coordinator, Hablando Claro
mano@chathamcountytogether.org
Mano Gallegos first joined with CCT! right out of community college five years ago, conducting surveys for Hablando Claro/Plain Talk on temporary assignment. He subsequently came on staff full-time in 2008, and currently devotes his efforts to outreach and health education within the Latino communitythrough the Hablando Claro program.
When asked what his greatest single wish for CCT! is, Mano’s answer was that he would like to see the agency be stable and strong 40 to 50 years from now…and that he would like to still be contributing that far down the road, whether as a staff member or as a volunteer.
