Please welcome our new board member, LaVonne Bost-Barksdale.
She is Division Director of the Landlord Management Unit at the Human Resources Administration’s Homelessness Prevention Administration and an agent with Real Brokerage.
Ms. Bost-Barksdale enjoys helping people reach their goals — purchasing or selling a home or remaining stably housed after experiencing homelessness. She prides herself on her leadership and expertise in starting up new programs and initiatives.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Bernard Baruch, CUNY as well as a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Fordham University. Ms. Bost-Barksdale is in the process of obtaining her broker’s license and certification in Property Management to be able to better assist her clients in all facets of the real estate process. She recently became a published author, penning a chapter on resilience called “Delayed but not Denied” for the book, “Push Beyond Your Limits: How to Develop the Grit, Drive, and Hustle to Make Your Entrepreneurial Goals a Success!”
Ms. Bost Barksdale loves to crochet elaborate graphghans (afghans made from graphs) in her spare time and is an avid reader. She is the proud mother of two — a son, aged 35, a Navy veteran, and a daughter, aged 33, a licensed mental health counselor.
At her church, she has served as a board member, head usher, and director of payroll.
She is passionate about housing for veterans and looks forward to learning more about supportive housing through her work with LSSNY. Though she can help tenants remain in their homes through her current job, it’s more of an indirect relationship. “I like the idea of being able to have a say in how people are being helped,” she says. “LSSNY does a lot of work with shelter residents and schools. The agency is on the ground trying to make things better and see people succeed.”
Says LSSNY President and CEO Dr. Damyn Kelly, “I welcome LaVonne to our Board. As we continue our expansion in our housing portfolio, LaVonne’s professional background will assist LSSNY in meeting the needs of our residents. I look forward to working with her.”