Uncrowned Community Builders

While working evenings as a Nursing Aide in 1958, Aviva attended Nursing School and became a Licensed Practical Nurse, thus beginning her career at Buffalo Children's Hospital. At the time, there were very few skilled African American nurses. She was trained to be a surgical nurse and worked labor and delivery. She later worked in childcare and mental health systems.

In 1977, she began her career as an Account Agent with Allstate Insurance Company. In July 1999, after twenty-two years of service, she retired as the Senior Female Agent in the Buffalo/Rochester region.

During her last two years with Allstate, Aviva served as President of the Board of Directors for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA), Buffalo, and Western New York Chapter, Inc. She continued to devote time and attention to SCDAA, which had lost funding and its executive director. Aviva assumed the role of Acting Director for one year (without payment) of SCDAA after her retirement, and funding was restored and the office moved to a more suitable location. In February 2000, the Board appointed her Executive Director.

She also is past Board President of Kensington-Bailey Neighborhood Housing Services and continues to serve as Board Secretary. She is past Board member of United Negro College where for five years she raised money with the celebrated "Jammin' Women," and past Board Member of Langston Hughes Institute. She is currently Treasurer of Geneva B. Scruggs Board of Directors.

Aviva currently hosts a cable television show entitled aptly AVIVA, which informs, inspires, and entertains. She also is working on a book entitled AVIVAISMS, and works as a motivational speaker to young African American females with a program entitled Building SHEROS.

Aviva is the recipient of many community awards including one for Meritorious Community Service for her work with SCDAA from the Buffalo Soldiers, a Washington, D.C.-based group of Buffalonians. She is a graduate of Leadership Buffalo 2001 and is a Black Achiever awardee (2000).

As founder and President of the Nursing Guild of the Evangelistic Temple and Community Church Center, where she is a life-long member, she strives to improve the health of the members of the congregation. The Church was involved in the pilot of Moving In Faith which is associated with the Heart and Stroke Association, to combine faith and a healthy lifestyle. She also holds memberships in the NAACP, Buffalo Urban League (and member of the Guild), Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier, and officer of the Mary B. Talbert Civic and Cultural Club, which was honored as the first Club inducted into the Uncrowned Queens Web site.

The Arthritis Foundation currently employs Aviva as Program Manager. She resides in Buffalo and is the mother of two, Joyce (Ronald) Walker and Ryan Richards. She also is grandmother of three grandsons, Ronald, Ryan Jr., and Robert.