Welcome to LEAD Talks! Where communities can come together. This week we are honored to have as our guest, Assemblymember Jonathan D. Rivera. He is the Assemblymember for New York State’s 149th Assembly District, representing parts of the cities of Buffalo and Lackawanna, the town of Hamburg including the villages of Blasdell and Hamburg, and the hamlet of Lake View. AM Rivera is the sponsor of The Lead Paint Right to Know Act, which passed the Assembly 106:to 40!

He is a life-long resident of Buffalo, where he resides with his daughter, Ana. Growing up as the son of a police officer and teacher aide, his family demonstrated the value and honor of serving the community.

Jon is a proud graduate of the Buffalo Public Schools, where he went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Buffalo State College in Business Administration. He has also earned a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University.

Jon began his own public service career in the office of Congressman Brian Higgins, where he represented the Congressman in the community, and advocated for constituent needs in Washington.

Jon then turned his career to the private sector, where he worked for HSBC Bank. There, he quickly became a Licensed Sales Professional (LSP). In this role, he managed multiple branches.

After growing a career in banking, Jon sought a return to public service and accepted a position in the office of the Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz as the liaison to the County Legislature. After a few years, Jon was promoted the Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Public Works in Erie County.

As a volunteer, Jon has been an active member of the community, serving as the board chair of Open Buffalo, a board member of the Massachusetts Avenue Project and Hispanics United of Buffalo, as well as Chair of the Erie County Commission of New Americans.

Jon has served in the New York State Assembly since 2021 and has spent his time in office championing issues related to lead poisoning and housing reforms, refugee resettlement, education investment, waterfront issues, and tourism. As of 2025, he is the Chair of the Administrative Regulations Review Committee and the Chair of the Subcommittee on Regional Tourism Development.