The Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation is pleased to announce that Devorah Levine will join the Foundation as Executive Director on January 6, 2021.  Prior to joining the Lesher Foundation, Ms. Levine served as Assistant Director for Contra Costa County’s Employment and Human Services Department, where she led efforts in developing essential partnerships to support families, oversaw government affairs, grants and fund development, and research and evaluation.  Ms. Levine also led the Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse, an initiative of Contra Costa’s Board of Supervisors, leading the way in addressing domestic/family violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. “For more than thirty years, the Lesher Foundation has focused it’s grantmaking to improve the quality of life in Contra Costa County.  Devorah’s deep commitment and experience in our county make her an ideal choice to continue our work of investing in children and families, education and arts and culture”, said Steve Lesher, Vice-Chair of the foundation board.

As someone with extensive experience in the nonprofit community, where she previously served as STAND! for Families Free of Violence Deputy Director, Ms. Levine understands the vital work nonprofit agencies do in enhancing the quality of life for all residents and creating a place where our children and families thrive.   She has created numerous innovative cross-sector strategies with strong community partnerships such as Contra Costa’s Family Justice Center and an award winning project focused on children and youth’s exposure to violence. Over the course of her career Ms. Levine served as a prosecutor and on numerous statewide and local advisory boards addressing the root causes of poverty and violence, receiving recognition from the Department of Justice for her work.   Ms. Levine’s work is characterized by a deep commitment to everyone reaching their full potential, the ability to create strong partnerships among diverse sectors, sustain system changes, and empower the community. Ms. Levine received her law degree from McGeorge School of Law and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley.  Ms. Levine lives in Walnut Creek with her family.