Lavere Foster, Associate Director, is a New York City native who is passionate about helping others. He earned a B.A. in American Studies from Skidmore College and M.S. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from Buffalo State University. In his years working in higher education, he has mentored and developed students as they looked to enhance their skill sets before graduating college and entering the workforce. His experiences carry over into government where he worked as a Legislative Aide for the former Mayor of Miami Gardens, Florida and now Commissioner of Miami-Dade County District 1, Oliver Gilbert III.

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Lavere was active in various communities assisting with food distributions, laptop giveaways, and many other programs designed to engage the residents. Additionally, he assisted with legislation that had a significant impact on the community. Lavere continues to advocate for underserved communities in San Jose and has been involved on committees such as Reimaging Public Safety and the Emerging Mobility Transportation Task Force. He is a highly visible advocate for affordable housing initiatives and reparations for our community. His hobbies include hiking and exploring the outdoors. He also likes to write screenplays and has placed as a finalist in the Big Apple Film Festival and semi-finalist in the Scriptapalooza Television Writing Competition.