Meet Our Staff:
Kasey Ventura
Community Organizer Pronouns: he/they As a community organizer: Kasey Ventura coordinates the growing awareness of community land trust among residents and collaborates with tenants to acquire and convert property into a CLT. Prior to joining BVCLT, he was an organizer with Innercity Struggle where he worked on campaigns that brought more funding to high need schools, pass rent control in unincorporated Los Angeles, and engage in local elections. He has also spent time working with Eastside LEADS to expand knowledge on tenant protections via social media. Kasey brings experience in housing rights and community development to address access to sustainable housing. He holds his BA in Law, Politics, and Policy from CSULB and an A.A in the Arts from El Camino College. In his spare time, Kasey enjoys working out and learning how to read tarot. |
Faizah Barlas
Operations Manager Pronouns: she/they Faizah Barlas oversees the organizational development, property management coordination, and property acquisitions coordination as the Operations Manager at the Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust (BVCLT). Prior to joining BVCLT, Faizah was a master’s student at NYU Wagner and spent her final year as a consultant for NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management and Build Baton Rouge (BBR), creating a Community Land Trust and Community Land Bank governance model policy toolkit. Faizah has expertise in housing policy and development, financial management, developing equitable internal systems, and providing direct supportive services to marginalized communities in immigration, criminal justice, and housing advocacy. She received her Masters in Public Administration (MPA) with a focus in Public Policy Analysis from NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and her Bachelors of Arts (BA) degree from UC Berkeley. In her spare time, Faizah enjoys hiking, camping, and trying new restaurants. |