The Westchester County Board of Legislators celebrated the 100th birthday of Herman S. Geist, the first-ever Board Chairman and an extraordinary lifelong public servant. After serving as a lieutenant in WWII where he helped liberate Domažlice in the Czech Republic, Geist graduated from NYU Law School and went on to make history as the inaugural Chairman of the Board from 1970-1973, later co-founding the Westchester Parks Foundation which donated over $15 million to county parks under his guidance. Throughout his remarkable century of life, he further distinguished himself through service on the Westchester Medical Center Board of Trustees and as Chair of the County Bi-Centennial Commission, earning the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Parks Foundation in 2013.

The Board produced and played a video, Herman Geist: A Century of Service to honor the former Chairman and express their admiration. During the meeting, legislators expressed their good wishes to Mr. Geist, who watched the meeting remotely with his wife, Barbara Geist.  

You may also watch the video on YouTube here.

To honor him, the Board named its paid summer internship program the “Herman S. Geist Summer Fellowship Program.” The four-week program offers students both paid opportunities and unpaid positions for high school credit, providing hands-on experience in county government while building valuable skills and connections for potential careers in public service.

Board Chairman Vedat Gashi (D- New Castle, Ossining, Somers, Yorktown) convened the ceremony, “This sought-after internship now bears the name of Herman Geist, who transformed Westchester through a century of dedicated service building county government, enhancing parks and hospitals. His life journey proves the remarkable impact one committed person can achieve in their community. We hope our interns, future public servants, will draw inspiration from his extraordinary legacy.”

Legislator Benjamin Boykin II (D- White Plains, Scarsdale, West Harrison) President of the New York State Association of Counties said, “It was my privilege to speak with the Honorable Herman Geist in a video commemorating his 100th birthday. The conversation revealed both the wisdom of my mentor and the warmth of a dear friend. As the architect of our County Charter and first Chairman of this Board, Herman guided me toward service with NYSAC, where I'm now honored to serve as President during its centennial year alongside Herman, who continues his dedicated role as parliamentarian. On behalf of our Board, I presented him with a plaque honoring his groundbreaking leadership, personal mementos from his time here, and a framed collection of all 62 county seals—fitting tributes to a WWII veteran, accomplished professional, and extraordinary public servant whose influence continues to shape Westchester County.”

Immediately following the celebration, the Board of Legislators convened a regular meeting in which it unanimously approved a local law that will improve the County’s ability to identify the lowest responsive and responsible bidder on public work contracts. By adding a legally required questionnaire to the approval process prior to contracting, the County will be able to better determine the bidder’s “responsibility” under the law based on the bidder’s financials, legal capacity, integrity, and past performance on government contracts.

Legislator Erika L. Pierce (D- Bedford, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers) Chair of the Public Works & Transportation Committee and co-author of the bill said, “Westchester is required to award contracts, in most cases, to the lowest “responsible” bidder. How we as a County define “responsible” is the focus of this important good governance legislation. This legislation helps set up a structured system for identifying when a bidder might be deemed non-responsible, and a system for documenting that status for future contracts opportunities, protecting tax payer money and producing better outcomes for our infrastructure projects.”

Legislator Nancy E. Barr (D- Harrison, Port Chester, Rye Brook), Vice Chair of the Public Works & Transportation Committee and co-author of the bill said, “This unanimous approval gives Westchester the power to look beyond price tags when awarding contracts. Our new mandatory questionnaire examines a bidder's financial health, legal standing, integrity, and past performance because the cheapest option isn't always the best deal for taxpayers. We're raising standards while making smarter decisions with public money."

Watch the full meeting here.