Uncrowned Community Builders

Lorenda is a native Buffalonian, is the daughter of Stephanie and Larry Chisolm. She has a younger sibling, Marcus, who is an electrical engineer in Chattanooga, TN. A product of the Buffalo Public Schools, Lorenda graduated from Bennett High School's Law Magnet Program. In 1999, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Canisius College with a dual major in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Counseling and Human Services in 2004. Lorenda holds New York State Certification in School Counseling.

Lorenda's work as a counselor in a variety of settings, with diverse populations has given her an exceptional counseling experience. Her experiences include working as a mental health counselor for Transitional Services, Inc.; a youth counselor at the East Ferry Detention Center through the Grief Center of Western New York; and a year long counseling internship at the Buffalo Alternative School. She is currently employed as an academic counselor at Buffalo State College for the Upward Bound Program, where she assists underrepresented high school students in the areas of academics, personal/social development and college and career exploration. Prior to this position, she was employed as a criminal deputy for five years, with the Erie County Sheriff's Office. She was the second African-American woman ever hired within the Criminal Division in the history of the Department.

In high school, she was recognized as a Channel 4 Scholar Athlete (1994) for track and field. In college, she was published in the National Dean's List (2001-2002) for high academic standards, leadership and public service. In 2003, she was inducted into Chi Sigma Iota, an international honor society for counselors.

Lorenda is a lifetime subscribing member of the NAACP and has served on the Buffalo Branch's education committee. She also serves on the family support committee of Habitat for Humanity-Buffalo. She has volunteered for more than two years, as a group facilitator, with Child and Family Services for their Restorative Justice programs and has been a consultant with the Ken-Ton Family Support Center as a family counselor, assisting families whose students face academic difficulty due to family stress.

Lorenda is a member of St. John Baptist Church. She is married to John and the couple has two children, a daughter, Aziza and a step-son, Jeiel. The family resides in Kenmore, New York.