About Dr. Lateef
Babur Lateef is a parent, physician, public servant, and proud product of public schools. He has served the Commonwealth as Chairman of the Prince William County School Board and Chairman of the University of Virginia Health System Board where he has focused on improving education and healthcare across Virginia.
He and his wife chose to settle in Woodbridge, Virginia because of its focus on education and family. Being a part of the local community, they have been inspired to serve in many capacities over the years committing to improving health care access and educational opportunities for all. He would like to take that commitment to Richmond and focus on what is best for all Virginians.
As Chairman of the Prince William County School Board, he was widely recognized for helping lead the division safely through the pandemic and ensuring safety for all students and faculty, while working diligently to bring all students back to school in the safest manner.
During the pandemic he made sure the University of Virginia had the resources it needed to take care of the community during the COVID-19 crisis. The University has been widely recognized for its management of the crisis and its leadership in the healthcare industry during the pandemic. His work at the UVA Health System Board has been to help expand healthcare access, protect access for women and children, address nursing shortages, improve quality, and oversee historic investments in medical research and biotechnology.
As Chairman of the Prince William County School Board he has led the school division’s improvement to being one of the top performing school districts in the Commonwealth while simultaneously focusing on improving opportunities for all students.
They have also been ranked by Forbes Magazine as one of the top school districts to work for in Virginia. Under his watch, teachers have been given historic pay increases along with adding a record number of counselors and mental health providers. His administration has been committed to working families in the county by approving fair labor practices such as prevailing wages, improving all wages, and implementing collective bargaining. He has accomplished this in a bipartisan fashion with a commitment to all students and families.
A Clear Vision for the Commonwealth
Lateef’s aggressive energy and sustainability initiatives have been recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture’s prestigious Green Ribbon Award, one of very few districts in the nation to achieve this award. They have just broken ground on their first ever net zero elementary school and helped develop the statewide pilot program for electric buses.
His experience overseeing large organizations and working on behalf of the people of Virginia have him well suited to address broader Commonwealth needs and better position Virginia for the future.
He has built a successful ophthalmology in Woodbridge, Virginia, creating jobs, and serving the community and local hospitals for over 20 years. He is regularly recognized as one of the Top Doctors in the Northern Virginia area by Washingtonian Magazine while also serving many of the free clinics in the region.
He and his wife reside in Manassas, Virginia with their four children. His wife, Tara, is a physician scientist working as a community pediatric neurologist and as a researcher at the National Institutes of Health. They have two children in college and two in Prince William County Public Schools.
He received his undergraduate degree in combined science at Youngstown State University and his medical degree from the Northeast Ohio Medical University. He completed his Ophthalmology residency at the University of Rochester, and a fellowship in Refractive Surgery at the University of Cincinnati. He currently serves as an assistant professor at George Washington University School of Medicine while also pursuing an educational doctorate degree at the University of Virginia.
