William T. "BJ" Jarrett III, an East Liverpool High School graduate, knows of the struggles of past generations and how they influenced his own personal and professional goals as an African-American.
"As a child, we always celebrated Black History Month at home, and it helped me to remember just how fortunate we were to grow up in a time where we did not have to fight for basic civil liberties," he said. "My parents' involvement in the local NAACP also provided us with a wonderful example of what it truly means to serve your community."
He is the son of the Rhonda Jarrett of East Liverpool and the late Tom Jarrett, and the grandson of Shirley Hayes.
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BJ Jarrett
Jarrett began his public service career with the Social Security Administration in East Liverpool as a Claims Representative after graduating from Miami University in 1998, with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
He has also worked as the Public Affairs Specialist for the Cleveland metro areas and has extensive experience in the field of public relations, media relations, event planning, and several different communication strategies. He is also the recipient of several Deputy Commissioner citations recognizing his communications accomplishments on behalf of the agency.
Jarrett also served three years as Regional Public Affairs Specialist for the SSA's six-state Chicago region (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin). Jarrett has served as Executive Officer for the Social Security Administration's Office of Communications Planning and Technology at the national headquarters in Baltimore, Md., for nearly three years. Very shortly, he will transition to the Press Office to support the Agency's communication efforts with national print, television, radio and social media.
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This is the second of a series in which The Review will spotlight men and women with ties to the area during the February celebration of Black History Month.
He and his wife, the former Jacqueline Green, are the proud parents of three children.
"As a professional, I am motivated to do my very best with every opportunity given to me as a representative of the African-American community," Jarret says.
As a father, he would like to ensure that the next generation remembers the incredible obstacles faced by those generations past, and that young people understand that the sacrifices made to achieve both economic and educational equality has to continue.
