Remember Your Purpose and Help Make a Difference in Someone’s Life

By Annette Pinder

Lenora Foote-Beavers spent her first five years growing up on Buffalo’s East Side before moving to Williamsville, where she and her older sister spent most of their childhood. Lenora’s mom worked as a registered nurse at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, while her dad was a foreman at a local manufacturing plant. She attended Williamsville East High School and earned an associate’s degree in paralegal studies from Erie Community College, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Pre-Law from Canisius University. She then obtained her Juris Doctor degree and a Certificate in Family Law from the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Law, along with a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Lenora loved playing the flute and planned to major in music, aspiring to become a jazz musician. However, she became pregnant while attending college and chose a path that required less travel. Thanks to her family, Lenora was able to raise her son, continue her education, and become the person she is today. She also experiences music performance vicariously through her youngest son, David, who has a great voice and is a singer-songwriter. She and her husband, a retired police officer, enjoy their blended family, which includes three sons, two daughters, and three grandchildren, who affectionately call her Mae, which means “grandmother” in Spanish.

Lenora hadn’t planned on becoming a lawyer. However, the mentors she met along the way were relentless in encouraging her to pursue her education. While attending school to become a paralegal, she worked as a claims adjuster at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York. “Knowing it would be convenient because it was next door to school, I looked at the postings, applied, and got the job.” Recalling the professors who encouraged her, she feels especially grateful to Dr. Jesse Nash and Peter Galie. “I had the right professors at the right time.” After graduating from Canisius, Lenora was accepted to law school. “After taking my first family law course, I knew it was something I was interested in.”

Lenora’s first job as a lawyer was with the City of Buffalo, coordinating efforts with county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to eradicate drug activity on residential properties in a program called “Save Our Streets.” Subsequently, she became an Assistant Corporation Counsel, representing the Buffalo Common Council and the City of Buffalo in various litigation matters. Later, as Chief Counsel to the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency, Lenora addressed multiple issues related to land sales, zoning, and other concerns. Most recently, she served as an Acting Erie County Family Court judge, a Buffalo City Court judge, and Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to the Presiding Justice in the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, as well as an Erie County Family Court magistrate. Over the years, she has received numerous awards, delivered many presentations, and served on several local and state boards.

Now, in her new role as Director of the Center for Health Equity at Evergreen, Lenora aims to prevent individuals from becoming victims of the complex and serious situations she witnessed as a judge. Working alongside the Assistant Vice President of Employee Engagement and the Vice President of Corporate Culture at Evergreen, she is eager to collaborate with an equity team to develop a strategy that fosters an inclusive culture, promotes social good initiatives, and enhances engagement for both Evergreen staff and patients. The new Center for Health Equity will provide services across the $128 million Evergreen operations, which encompass 11 offices, including a healthcare facility under development at Kensington and Bailey Avenues in Buffalo, a workforce of 580 full-time employees, and nearly 30,000 patients. Lenora says, “Evergreen Health’s key descriptor is the word unconditional, and the new Center for Health Equity is an essential part of its mission to eradicate health inequities by providing unconditional care to anyone in the community, no questions asked.” Evergreen’s services include primary and specialty care, encompassing pediatrics, behavioral health, substance use issues, HIV care and testing, housing, and additional support. Evergreen also operates a food pantry and a pharmacy. “It doesn’t matter who you are, what you need, we care about every human equally, without judgment.”

Lenora is grateful to her mom, dad, sister, mentors, husband Michael, and their children. Her advice to young people today is to persevere, no matter how difficult it may seem, remember your purpose in the world, help make a difference in someone’s life, and maintain a spiritual perspective.