Mayor Harvinder (Harry) Anand is the first elected Mayor of Indian origin in the State of New York and the first Sikh Mayor in US. He was elected as the Mayor of Laurel Hollow in Nassau County, Long Island on June 19th, 2007. Laurel Hollow is one of the premier communities on the North Shore of Long Island. Laurel Hollow is a waterfront community with its private beach and homes ranging from $3 million to $25 million. Laurel Hollow is also home to the Cold Spring Harbor Lab, a world renowned lab for DNA sciences. The legendary Dr. James Watson, Nobel Laureate for the discovery of DNA, is a resident of Laurel Hollow and is the former Chairman of the lab.
Mayor Anand was first elected as a Trustee in 2002. He also served as the Deputy Mayor for the last two years before running for the Mayor’s office. Mayor Anand is a graduate of Civilian Police Academy in Nassau County and serves as the Police Commissioner for Laurel Hollow. He is a graduate of the Nassau County Civilian Police Academy and currently serves as a Director on the Advisory Board of Nassau County Police Explorers. He is also an active member of the Nassau County Police Reserves.
Mayor Anand has a Chemical Engineering degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He is the President of a multi-national company, Royce International, involved in manufacture of industrial chemicals. Mayor Anand is married to Dr. Chandni Anand and has two kids, Nikita and Angad.
SAT was honored to ask him a few questions about his life, success and his goals for a better community in the coming future.
- Please tell us about your family and the environment you grew up in.
I was born and raised in Rajouri Garden, New Delhi. At that time Rajouri Garden was a suburb with a lot of open land and beautiful parks. My father owned a business in manufacture of automotive parts. We lived in a bungalow which my father had built in 1960. I had a lot of friends and I was social and outgoing as a child.
- You have made incredible contributions to bring pride to USA and India globally by being the first Indian American Mayor of Long Island, New York. Please tell us about some of the projects that you are involved in.
Laurel Hollow is a waterfront community on the north shore of Long Island. We have a private beach surrounded by picturesque landscape which is dotted with multi-million dollar mansions. As the Mayor, it is one of my priorities in protecting the beautiful environment we live in. Last year we completed a beach beautification project which involved addressing some drainage issues, clean water processes and re-sanding of the beach. This year we have instituted new regulations for boating in our harbor to limit pollution and preserve our environment.
- Is the development of the town progressing like you envisioned?
I was first elected as a Trustee on the Board 6 years ago. I served as a Trustee for 3 years and then Deputy Mayor for 2 years before running for the Mayor’s office. In my six years of serving our village, we have continued to make progress in preserving our environment, maintain a low tax rate and providing high quality of municipal services to our residents. Due to the inherent challenges of running a government in a democratic manner, at times you cannot make progress at the speed I would like.
- What are your future plans for economic development and public interest?
My future plans are to continue to run an efficient village and preserve the beautiful suburban environment of our village.
- How large is the Indian population in your area?
We have less than 15 Indian families in our village.
- Do the rich Indians in NY spend on community upliftment?
Many members of the Indian community are involved in philanthropic efforts to help those who are less fortunate, in US and in India. As the Indian community grows in numbers and prosperity, I expect to see an increasing number of Indians making greater contributions for the upliftment of the society. Giving back to the society is an important tenet of our values, whether you are a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or a Christian.
- Who has been your inspiration?
I live in very close vicinity to President Theodore Roosevelt’s estate Sagamore Hill. President Roosevelt was one of the most dynamic Presidents of United States. I take my inspiration from President Roosevelt.
- Any message you would like to convey to your community?
To get involved in the civic life of our country. We can get involved by volunteering in schools, libraries, fire departments, civic associations and hospitals. It is through this voluntary work that we will be able to better integrate into this society.
9. What do you do to get the residents of Laurel Hollow involved in civic activities?
I encourage residents of Laurel Hollow to be involved in civic activities by welcoming them to our public meetings, encouraging them to be more involved in the community and presenting them with ideas and opportunities where they can get involved.
10. Will you be running for Governor in future?
I have no future political aspirations.
By Nikki Rattan
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