Noam Bramson

“Going into public service was all I ever wanted to do. Both my parents were born in Poland and became refugees as children during the second World War. Their extended families were wiped out and they were lucky to survive. That first hand exposure to how things can go terribly wrong in society taught them to never take for granted living in a democratic country. So I was also taught to really appreciate this opportunity we all have to form a more perfect set of relationships with people. My parents always encouraged my brothers and I to read the newspaper and come prepared to talk about current events at the dinner table, and throughout middle and high school I was involved in Model Congress. But if you had asked me back then, I probably would have said that serving in Congress was my ambition. It was only when I came back to settle down in New Rochelle that I started to appreciate the impact that local government has on people’s day to day lives. You can learn about a problem in the morning and solve it by the afternoon, and you can directly shape the physical reality of a community. I’ve been in government for 25 years now, and I am still learning. Of course I’ve been through rough patches with the Great Recession, and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic. But I think that because of its diversity New Rochelle has the potential to be a model for how people who come from different backgrounds can find common ground, and that’s really exciting. Right now we’re working on making New Rochelle a more just and equitable community by working through a police reform plan, investing more in historically marginalized neighborhoods, and establishing an African American advisory committee. I also very intently focus on downtown revitalization and environmental sustainability. Of course there are a lot of legitimate grievances that cannot be smiled away, but I think if we are to have a successful society being able to understand others perspectives is paramount and it's dangerous to stop trying. New Rochelle is my home, and I just want people to be proud of the city they live in.” (February 2021)

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July 2024 Update from February 2021 Interview

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"Since concluding my service as Mayor at the end of 2023, I have had the great privilege of leading Sustainable Westchester, a non-profit organization that works closely with the municipalities of our region to accelerate a clean energy transition and address the urgent challenge of climate change. It is deeply rewarding to contribute to a meaningful mission, surrounded by colleagues whom I admire and from whom I learn, and extending my commitment to public service in new directions."