Josh Lafazan

Joshua "Josh" Lafazan (born January 29, 1994) is an American politician who is the legislator for the 18th District of the Nassau County Legislature.[3] He is the second youngest public servant to be elected in New York State.[4][5] Lafazan was placed on the Long Island Press Power List of the 50 most influential people on Long Island in 2012.[6] His book, titled Political Gladiators: How Millennials Can Navigate the 21st Century Political Minefield and WIN!, was published in November 2015, and tells experiences of other politicians who were elected at a young age.[7] Lafazan has been featured as a speaker in TedX conferences.[8] He is currently a professor at Long Island University, instructing a course focusing on how to run for public office as a young candidate.[9]

Joshua A. Lafazan
Legislator, 18th District, Nassau County Legislature
Assumed office
January 1, 2018
Preceded byDonald MacKenzie
Trustee, Syosset Central School District Board of Education
In office
July 2, 2012[1] – December 31, 2017
Personal details
Born
Joshua A. Lafazan

(1994-01-29) January 29, 1994
Political partyIndependent[lower-alpha 1]
ResidenceWoodbury, Nassau County, New York
EducationHarvard University (MEd)
Cornell University (BS)
Nassau Community College (AA)
Websitejoshlafazan.com

Education and political career

Josh Lafazan graduated from Syosset High School in June 2012. He attended Nassau Community College, and received the State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence.[10] He was named a recipient of the New York State School Boards Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.[11] Lafazan attended Cornell University for his Bachelor of Science degree and Harvard University for his Master of Education degree.[12]

During the latter part of his senior year of high school, Lafazan had been campaigning for a trustee position on the Syosset Board of Education, which he won in May of that year with 82 percent of the vote.[13] He was re-elected to the board in 2015 for another three-year term.[14] On April 26, 2013, Josh was elected to the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, in which they credited him for founding Saferide Syosset, an outreach program to help guide teenagers on how to get home when impaired.[15][16]

On June 8, 2017, Lafazan announced he was running for County Legislator of the 18th District.[17] He won on November 7, 2017, with 56 percent of the vote, against incumbent Republican Donald MacKenzie.[18] Lafazan resigned from his position on the school board on December 31, 2017, based on a clause in the Nassau County Charter that provides a possible conflict with holding both positions.[19]

Lafazan has authored and passed multiple notable pieces of legislation in his tenure as a legislator. "Timothy's Law" was passed in August 2018, which established a 24-hour hotline for substance abuse intervention. Related legislation mandated the creation of a smartphone application containing resources for substance abuse, such as treatment center locations.[20] The "Dignity For Our Heroes" package, signed into law in April 2019, marked veterans as a protected status under the County's Human Rights Law, in addition to creating the Nassau Commission on Ending Veteran Homelessness, which guides projects meant to reduce the number of veterans who are housing insecure in the region.[21]

Lafazan was re-elected for his second term in 2019 with over 70 percent of the vote.[22]

Lafazan expanded on his mission to involve the youth of New York in local politics by starting multiple youth internship opportunities that were very successful. In fact, a local law was passed in the summer of 2020 that was drafted by such youth interns.

Notes
  1. Lafazan ran under the Democratic line in the Legislative Election, however is a registered Independent.[2]

References
  1. "Syosset High grad, 18, joins school board". Newsday. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  2. "Lafazan shows nonpartisan roots". Newsday. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  3. "Nassau Dems pick up County Legislature seat with Lafazan's win". The Island Now. November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  4. "New Syosset School Board Member Is NY's Youngest Elected Official". May 16, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  5. "Syosset's youngest trustee: 'Feeling great'". Newsday. May 16, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  6. "Joshua Lafazan, Syosset School Board Member | Long Island Press". archive.longislandpress.com. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  7. "'Political Gladiators' book offers tips to Millennials | Brooklyn Daily Eagle". www.brooklyneagle.com. December 30, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  8. "TEDxYouth@Milpark | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  9. "Nassau lawmaker goes back to school as professor". Newsday. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  10. "Local Resident Receives State University of N.Y. Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence". Nassau Community College (Press release). Garden City, NY. April 29, 2014. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017.
  11. "Lafazan For Legislator | JoshLafazan". Lafazan For Legislator | JoshLafazan. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  12. Lafazan, Josh. "Josh Lafazan". LinkedIn. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  13. "Syosset Votes 18-Year-Old to School Board". Syosset, NY Patch. May 16, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  14. "Results of the 2015-2016 budget vote, and school board election". May 19, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  15. Webmaster, LICADD. "LICADD Elects Joshua Lafazan to its Board of Directors". licadd.org. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  16. "Syosset Student Provides 'Saferide' Home". Syosset, NY Patch. December 15, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  17. "23-year-old to run for Nassau Legislature". Newsday. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  18. "Election Results | Nassau County, NY - Official Website". www.nassaucountyny.gov. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  19. "Lafazan resigns from Syosset ed board - The Island Now". The Island Now. January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  20. "New bills support treatment access for substance abusers in Nassau County". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  21. "Dignity For Heroes: Long Island Lawmaker Pushes For Bill Protecting Veterans From Homelessness". April 3, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  22. "Oyster Bay Election: Council Members Pledge 'Honest Government'". Oyster Bay, NY Patch. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
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