It is with a heavy heart for the state of our country, concern for the health and well-being of each citizen in our region and those they love, as well as a measured dose of hope and optimism that I write these words.

At the same time our nation struggles with tremendous loss of life as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen high profile killings of three African American citizens: Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and, most recently, George Floyd in Minneapolis. These events have exposed painful realities about race and inequality in our country and the raw emotion and reactions that these conditions have evoked. Our reactions of horror and anger have swept across the nation and led to numerous peaceful protests, but they have also ignited outbreaks of violence and destruction, in virtually every major city, including Minneapolis and Philadelphia.

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