Philadelphia, Feb. 10, 2015 – City Council President Darrell L. Clarke on Tuesday named Lance Haver, formerly the City Of Philadelphia’s Director of Consumer Affairs, to the newly created position of Director of Civic Engagement for Philadelphia City Council.
As Director of Civic Engagement, Haver will work to increase public participation in Council’s deliberative process. He will also work with Philadelphia-area civic and advocacy groups to become better engaged with legislative and policy matters in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., that impact the lives of Philadelphia residents.
“Bringing Mr. Haver on board to serve as City Council’s first-ever Director of Civic Engagement is just another step in our efforts to make the City’s legislative branch more familiar and accessible to Philadelphians — regardless of their geographic distance from City Hall,” Council President Clarke said. “From neighborhood budget meetings to taking the Community Sustainability Initiative on the road, this City Council has shown a serious commitment to engaging Philadelphians on the issues affecting them most.”
Haver, 59, has worked as a consumer advocate for more than three decades. He was first named Consumer Affairs Director for the City of Philadelphia in 2003, and previously served as Executive Director of the Consumers Education and Protective Association and as Educational Director of the Consumers Education and Protective Association.
“As City Council’s Director of Civic Engagement, I will reach out to groups across the city and encourage them to participate in the legislative process,” Haver said. “City Council will be asking Philadelphians from all walks of life to join us in advocating for Philadelphia’s interests. Anyone who would like to be kept informed about pending issues and legislation should contact me directly at [email protected].”
Haver currently serves on the board of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project and on the steering committees of Raise the Wage PA and the Save Our Homes Coalition, which supported the City’s mortgage diversion program. He previously served as a board member of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, as a steering committee member of the Pennsylvania Transit Coalition Steering Committee, and as an organizer for the anti-gun violence Safe Streets Campaign.
Haver is a graduate of Hampshire College. He resides in the Hawthorne neighborhood with his wife, Lisa Haver.
