Lavern Deer was born in Jones Town, Kingston Jamaica and migrated
to Nassau, Bahamas at an early age. She migrated to Overtown
Florida in the early 1980’s where she attended Booker T. Washington Jr. high.
She attended Miami Senior High School in Hialeah before transferring to and graduating from North Miami Beach. Sr. High School.
In 2021 she received a proclamation from the City of North Miami Beach Board of Commissioners, proclaiming May 29th Lavern Deer Day.
In 2013, Ms. Deer designed the successful Reggae Girlz Awareness Campaign which provided South Florida’s youth soccer players an opportunity to perform on the international stage, encouraged youth development and facilitated the Jamaica National Women Soccer Team to become the first Caribbean nation to qualify for the FIFA
Women’s World Cup.
Ms. Deer is an Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate and Founder/CEO of Female Development World Organization Inc. (FDWO), The Female Development World Organization founded 2013, is a 501(c)3 organization. She successfully completed a month-long training on human trafficking prevention from Shared Hope International, as well as received a Certificate of Attendance during the Attorney General of Florida’s 2020 Human Trafficking Summit. Ms. Deer now serves as a Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Expert Subject Matter, local and international.
With a passion for learning, Ms. Deer obtained a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration and a master’s degree in business administration, making her the first in her family to attend and graduated from a university. Ms. Deer’s academic and community advocacy earned her an Honorary Doctorate Degree and a Proclamation from the City of North Miami Beach Board of Commission, proclaiming May 29th Lavern Deer Day.
During the 2018-2019 Legislative Session, FDWO and Ms. Deer worked with Florida Legislators in proposing a Human Trafficking Education bill; as a result, a policy was adopted by the Department of Education making Florida the first state to teach Human Trafficking education in schools. Ms. Deer is Founder of Caribbean Anti-Trafficking Committee (CAC), Commissioned by Jamaica Consul General to Miami and FDWO P.L.A.Y- Providing Leadership through Awareness to Youths Program Creator.
April 2023 at the State Capitol, Ms. Deer and FDWO was recognized by
Florida State Legislature, respectively, City of Miami Gardens House Representatives and State Senator for its advocacy work in Human Trafficking awareness and prevention.
Ms. Deer civic duties goes beyond community service, she has over 14 years’
experience working in various roles within the government sector. Such roles include serving as Chief Administrative Aide to former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness, Sr. Programs Project Coordinator, specializing in process improvement, policy development, procurement, and contracts.
Ms. Deer proudly serves as City of Miami Gardens District 1 Bond Oversight
Committee Representative. She is an international board member for Eve For Life, a Caribbean based organization who provides services and care to young mothers affected by HIV and Gender Based Violence. Ms. Deer is also a board member for the United Nations Association-Broward Chapter, where she serves as Advocacy Chair.
Ms. Deer is mother to one adult child and the primary caregiver for her elderly mother who was born in the Indigenous community of the Cockpit Country, St. Elizabeth Jamaica.