David Farve, Mississippi Choctaw, has been named the new coordinator of Native American Student Services, according to a news release from the Lawrence school district Thursday.
Farve, an alum of the Lawrence High School Class of 1989, also attended Central Junior High and Cordley Elementary, where his mother was school secretary, according to the release. He earned associate’s and bachelor’s degrees from Haskell Indian Nations University.
He is currently works as a learning and development specialist with the Southcentral Foundation. The foundation serves Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, Alaska and the surrounding area and helps them “to achieve wellness through health and related services,” according to the release.
“I am excited to return to the community I grew up in. Working with NASS will give me an opportunity to give back to my hometown and the Indigenous community,” Farve said in the release. “Having NASS gives our youth a place to find hope, learning, and mentorship to succeed in school and life.”
Farve and his wife, Pola, have three daughters: Halitopa attends Haskell, Taloa is an LHS senior, and NaFehna, the reigning Jr. Miss Indian Lawrence, is a Billy Mills Middle School eighth grader, according to the release.
Cynthia Johnson, the district’s executive director of inclusion, engagement, and belonging, said in the release that she appreciated the NASS Parent Committee members for their involvement in interviewing candidates and recommending Farve for the position.
“David Farve is returning to the Lawrence community with a wealth of personal and professional experience that has prepared him to take NASS to the next level,” Johnson said in the release. “It will be exciting to see how he will connect with students, families, and the community as we honor cultural heritage, improve student outcomes, and develop Indigenous curriculum resources. David’s expertise will continue to move NASS forward.”
Farve fills the role following the December resignation of Kenneth “Kenny” St. Pierre.
Farve’s position is effective immediately pending school board approval, according to the release.
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