Susan Berland Chosen As Suffolk Legislature Majority Leader

COMMACK, NY — Susan A. Berland was selected to be majority leader of the Suffolk County Legislature by her colleagues in the Democratic Caucus on Wednesday evening. 2021 will mark Berland’s 20th year in elective office.

"I am humbled and honored that my colleagues have entrusted me to lead our caucus," Berland said. "Suffolk County faces significant challenges, but we have innumerable opportunities within our reach. I will, as I always have, continue to collaborate with my colleagues across the aisle to do the work of the people. Bipartisan cooperation is the key to finding sensible and innovative solutions to the obstacles we face in the years ahead."

Berland was first elected to the Suffolk County Legislature to represent the 16th Legislative District on Nov. 7, 2017 and took her oath of office to serve a second term on Jan. 2, 2020. The 16th Legislative District encompasses portions of the Towns of Babylon, Huntington and Islip. Before being elected to the legislature, Berland served as a member of the Huntington Town Board from 2001 until 2017.

Berland was congratulated by her peers Presiding Officer Rob Calarco and Deputy Presiding Officer Kara Hahn.

"Since joining the legislature in 2018, and long before as a member of the Huntington Town Board, Susan has been a vociferous advocate for the communities she serves and ideals she passionately defends," Hahn stated in a news release. "Legislator Berland’s legacy of leadership and nearly two decades of public service will be an asset in unifying the diversity of opinions within our caucus and guide us all toward a shared vision for this County’s future."

Calarco called Berland "a tireless advocate not only for the residents of the 16th Legislative District, but also for all Suffolk County residents."

"An effective and forward-thinking lawmaker, she has spearheaded pioneering legislation to help our veterans, ensure the availability of affordable housing, and stop discrimination in the hiring process," Calarco said. "She brings a voice of reason to our discussions and a keen ability to facilitate cooperation and compromise. She will be a true asset as the legislature’s new majority leader."

Berland previously served as vice president and member of the Board of Directors of House Beautiful in Dix Hills; one of the leading civic associations in the Town of Huntington. She is also a member of Temple Beth Torah in Melville.

Berland is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, where she worked as a New York State Senate aide, and later graduated from Hofstra University School of Law where she currently serves as an adjunct law professor. Before her election to the Suffolk County Legislature and Huntington Town Board, she as a New York state assistant attorney general in the Prisoners Litigation Division where she prosecuted parole violators, an assistant town attorney for the Town of Huntington and as an attorney in private practice. She lives in Dix Hills with her husband and four children.