A San Diego woman whose telemarketing business assists federal inmates as they make the transition out of prison will be honored this week by President Barack Obama.
Samantha Galarneau, executive vice president of California Marketing Group, is one of 10 people who will be honored Wednesday at the White House.
Since 2006, CMG has trained and relied upon federal inmates in the Federal Prison Industries Inc. work program to perform telemarketing functions on behalf of its customers. The relationship has been so successful that the call center operation was expanded to a second correctional facility in Tallahassee, Florida, according to the White House.
Both locations employ more than 300 federal inmates.
More than 100 formerly-incarcerated people have been provided a direct opportunity with CMG, and more than 1,000 opportunities have been provided through partnerships and business relationships developed by Galarneau, according to the White House.
Actress Sabra Williams, founder and director of The Actors’ Gang Prison Project, will also be honored. The program run by the Los Angeles woman conducts eight-week theater workshops in California prisons.
—City News Service