John Shegerian, Chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers International (ERI), the nation’s leading recycler of electronic waste, stressed the importance of giving reformed gang members a “second chance for success” as part of a round table discussion on the PBS and KVPT program “Great Valley” this week. The complete program is available for viewing at the Great Valley website.
Joined in the round table by representatives from the FBI and District Attorney’s Office, Shegerian spoke about the many societal and economic benefits made available when formerly incarcerated individuals have been rehabilitated and are given an opportunity to reenter the workforce thanks to business owners willing to provide that second chance.
“It’s an honor and privilege to have been asked by our local PBS affiliate to share our story and spread the word about a very real life solution to the growing gang problem in this country,” said Shegerian. “At ERI, it is a mark of our success that we lead the nation in recycling electronics, but perhaps even more significant is that we are helping to lead the nation in recycling lives. We’re extremely proud of the employees on our team who have turned their lives around and we encourage other businesses to follow suit. We commend the Great Valley production team and everyone at KVPT and PBS for taking the time to focus on this vitally important issue.”
As part of the program, Shegerian was featured as the “Spotlight Interview” where he discussed his past efforts in helping the gang-exposed get back to work with his Homeboy Industries venture in Los Angeles as well as his current efforts at ERI. He then joined the show’s hosts and representatives from the DA’s Office Gang Task Force and FBI to discuss the gang problem and share his “give them a chance and provide them with a job” solution.