Name: LaVar Young
Organization: Newark Now
Title: President and CEO
Age: 33
What makes him an effective President:
When Newark, NJ Mayor Cory A. Booker wanted to launch a program to empower Newark residents with skills, resources and community support he enlisted, LaVar Young. Young is the former Director of Fathers Now at the Newark Comprehensive Center for Fathers. His achievements have been recognized with an invitation to the White House for a discussion on fatherhood programs with President Obama.
My advice for President Obama:
“The U.S. ranks 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math, according to the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment, behind South Korea, Finland and Singapore. The lack of quality education across the board puts America’s next generation at a steep disadvantage in the global economy, and leads to employment and social issues that impede the development of adults. Economic opportunity specifically employment is an issue that many of the families we serve are dealing with. The rates of joblessness for minorities are much higher than for the general population. This is an issue that President Obama and the Democratic Party cannot afford to back down on.â€