Standing up for the Bronx
Age: 32
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Named Deputy Borough President of the Bronx in January 2022, Janet A. Peguero is the first Dominican woman to hold that role. She understands firsthand the value of hard work, public service, and the importance of civic engagement as tools to enhance equity throughout New York City. An immigrant from the Dominican Republic who was raised by school aides, Janet`s passion is rooted in serving her community.
At the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), Janet served the communities that raised her as the Senior Rezoning Manager on citywide land use projects with a focus on the Bronx and Upper Manhattan. Closely working with City Hall, local elected officials, community boards, and community partners, Janet was charged with ensuring residents had equitable access to city services, along with developing new programs in support of local economic development and job readiness. Janet’s tenure at SBS began in the Division of Business Services managing pro-bono services and leading the first-of-its-kind Commercial Lease Assistance program, offering free legal representation to commercial tenants.
Most recently, Janet was an Associate at Constantinople & Vallone, a government relations firm, heavily focusing on and advocating for local non-profits and affordable housing. During the FY`20 budget crisis, Janet was successful at securing substantial increases in city funding on behalf of her non-profit clients, aimed at assisting with recovery and their ability to expand essential services as the City worked towards reopening.
During the height of the pandemic, Janet served as a community organizer, working with Bronx-based mutual aid groups and local small businesses to increase access to food and PPE. Janet also serves as the Bronx borough director for Amplify Her, an organization that works to increase the number of women in elected office. Janet’s work has also helped to educate and increase voter turnout among Spanish-speaking residents.
Prior to her role at SBS, Janet started her public career in the non-profit sector with the Vance Center for International Justice, a division within the New York City Bar Association. There, she organized a network of private law firms and encouraged the promotion and expansion of clearing houses aimed at bridging access to free legal services for civil society and non-profit organizations in Latin America and Africa.
Janet A. Peguero is an EOP Alumna of SUNY Binghamton, and a proud product of the New York City public school system.
Words of Wisdom: “Often times we find ourselves in rooms where we are the first, the few, and the only. And that feeling can mask itself as a burden, feeding the notion of imposter syndrome. Whoever, being the first comes with the responsibility of not being the last and with the assignment of leaving the door open for the next generation of leaders, and that within itself is Power!.”
