Chief Program Officer

Bob White

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Bob served as the owner-operator of an automotive aftermarket business in Michigan prior to joining Cara in 2007. Bob began in a direct-service role at Cara, coaching students through the challenges of job retention, and was quickly promoted to manager of the department. He draws upon his direct-service experience in his current role as Chief Program Officer with responsibilities for overseeing the effective and sustainable application of our mission through integrated program services, as well as optimizing the program’s interface with our social enterprises. Under Bob’s leadership, Cara has expanded its programming across two campuses to meet the needs of a higher volume and a more diverse community of participants while realizing record levels of employment retention, regularly exceeding the national average by 20% or more. In 2015, he was a fellow in the inaugural cohort of the Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago. and he proudly serves on the Chicago Committee on Urban Opportunity, an oversight and review board that advises the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services. Bob’s first gig: “My first jobs were detailing cars during the day and flipping burgers at night.”