Donavan West, a Fishtown resident, has announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for City Council at large.
West, 48, received his bachelor’s degree in Administration of Justice from Penn State University and his master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University.
As the founder and president of the Black Business Accelerator and Culturally Congruent Solutions LLC, West has spent more than 20 years supporting entrepreneurs and micro-businesses as well as delivering strategic multicultural communications. He also served as the president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
He also served as the long-term chief operating officer of People For People, a multi-million-dollar community-based nonprofit organization founded by the late Rev. Herb Lusk, where he helped in the success of its preschool, charter school, banquet space, community development partnership projects, fatherhood program, pregnancy and wellness center as well as its partnership with Eastern University.
“I’ve dedicated my life to be a voice for the voiceless through community entrepreneurial and workforce development,” he said. “I will work tirelessly in City Council to ensure our small businesses flourish as the lifeline of our city and to restore Philadelphia as a beacon of hope in the pursuit of economic inclusion and advancement, with a goal of ending our reign as the biggest city with the highest poverty rate.” ••
