Board Welcomes Two New Legislators; First South Asian American And Hindu Member
The Westchester County Board of Legislators welcomed two newly elected members at its annual Organizational Meeting on Monday, January 5, the start of the 2026 legislative term. Westchester County Clerk, Hon. Thomas M. Roach, administered the Oath of Office to Legislators Jenn Puja and Anant Nambiar, along with 15 returning legislators. Nambiar’s election follows recent diversity milestones for the Board. In 2023, Legislator David Imamura became the first Asian American member and Chairman Vedat Gashi became the first Albanian American and Muslim to serve.
Chairman Vedat Gashi (D–New Castle, Ossining, Somers, Yorktown) said, “We are excited to welcome two new dynamic legislators to the Board—Jenn Puja and Anant Nambiar. As our first South Asian American and Hindu member, Anant’s election marks another important milestone in our growing diversity. Both he and Jenn bring valuable expertise and perspectives, and I look forward to working closely with them as we address concerns that matter most to Westchester residents.”
Legislator Jenn Puja will represent District 5, which includes Scarsdale, West Harrison, and portions of White Plains, succeeding former Legislator Ben Boykin, who retired due to term limits. Puja said, “It is an incredible honor to serve as a Westchester County Legislator for the district I’ve called home my entire life. I’m grateful for the trust that residents have placed in me. Together, rooted in shared history and united by a common future, we will move this district forward.”
Jenn Puja joins the Board following six years of service on the White Plains Common Council where she was the youngest woman ever elected to that office. Raised in Harrison’s Silver Lake neighborhood, she grew up with a deep commitment to public service. Jenn is the Executive Director of the Westchester/Putnam Central Labor Body AFL-CIO, a nonprofit organization representing more than 100,000 working families in Westchester and Putnam. She is also an Advisory Board Member for the Mount Sinai Selikoff Center for Occupational Health and has been a member of the Labor and Human Rights Committee of the Board of Legislators since 2018. Legislator Puja is a summa cum laude graduate of both Iona College (bachelor’s) and Long Island University (dual masters’). She lives in White Plains with her husband and two children.
Legislator Anant Nambiar will represent District 7, covering Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, and parts of Harrison. He succeeds former Legislator Catherine Parker, who retired due to term limits. Nambiar said, “I am very honored to be elected to represent District 7 on the Westchester County Board of Legislators. I’m also very proud to be the first South Asian and Hindu elected, and look forward to working with my colleagues and the County Executive and team to solve the difficult, important problems that our residents prioritize.”
Anant Nambiar is a dedicated public servant, business leader, and proud resident of Westchester for more than two decades. He has held senior executive roles in the financial industry over a 25-year career, where he led strategy and product management teams and earned 12 U.S. patents for innovation. When the Mamaroneck schools faced financial crises in 2008–2009, Anant joined the school board to find and deliver solutions. Then, in 2024, he joined the Town of Mamaroneck Board to help the town navigate post-COVID financial challenges. Legislator Nambiar holds an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Waterloo. He and his wife have raised three children, all of whom are graduates of the Mamaroneck public schools.
Not pictured: Legislators Erika L. Pierce and José I. Alvarado
Watch the full Organizational Meeting here when available.