Experienced County Legislator. First elected in 2021, Erika is known to be a hard working and dedicated legislator who works hard to serve the six towns, numerous businesses, nonprofits and residents which comprise District 2. While she can be found regularly at events throughout our communities, Erika also chairs the Board of Legislators’ important Public Works and Transportation Committee which has oversight over all county infrastructure, including its buildings, roads, transportation systems, IT, green infrastructure, parks and wastewater facilities. Before she was elevated to Public Works, she chaired the Committee on Environment, Energy and Climate. Erika also serves as Vice Chair for two committees: Environment and Health. Erika additionally serves as the Board’s liaison to Westchester’s Agricultural Board, the Soil and Water Conservation District and the LGBTQ Advisory Board. Previously, Erika had served as the legislative aide to County Legislator Kitley Covill.
Life-long New York resident. Erika grew up on Long Island and went to college in New York City. She met her husband, Clay, during their freshman year, and after college, they lived in New York City for 10 years. In 2000, Erika, Clay, and their two young children, moved to Katonah. Twenty-one years later, with two John Jay High School graduates, Erika and Clay share their home and life in Northern Westchester with two dogs, Evie and Darla, and a cockatiel named Mango.
Proven business leader. Prior to 2017, Erika worked for a combination of private businesses and non-profit organizations. For over a decade, she was the chief financial officer for a mid-sized printing company in Manhattan, where she steered the business through two recessions and the post September 11th economic crisis. More recently, she served as company manager for an arts non-profit where she was responsible for overseeing the organization’s contracts, finances, annual audits, and grants; she also provided assistance with educational and veteran’s programming. Additionally, Erika is a certified high school and special education teacher.
Active community organizer and volunteer. Erika has always set aside time to give back to her community. When her children were young, she was involved in the PTO at their schools. Erika was instrumental in the design and construction of the community vegetable garden at Katonah Elementary School. She also helped shape and deliver the accompanying environmental programming. When the kids were older, she was involved in Arts Alive, and served on committees for the school board.
Erika has also served as a mentor for Bedford 2030 for their Greenlight program and as a volunteer in Jacob Burns Film Center’s educational outreach program. She’s also served as a long-time judge for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and volunteered for other local non-profits, including the Community Center of Northern Westchester, the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, and Westchester’s Christmas Dinner.
In 2016, Erika founded a local grass roots activist group, Action Together-Northern Westchester and has been a busy community organizer ever since. She’s served on the executive committee of the Bedford Democratic Committee and is the current treasurer for the Westchester County Democratic Committee. She has a bachelor's degree in English from Barnard College and a master’s degree in education from Manhattanville College, where she was the recipient of their Award for Academic Excellence.
