Even after a few years into his historic first term, Town of Islip District 1 Councilman Jorge Guadrón says he still has big goals for his community’s future.

In 2021, Guadrón became the first Latino council member in Islip's history. He won the seat after the town was forced to replace their at-large voting system with four council districts.

Guadrón represents District 1, encompassing parts of Brentwood, North Bay Shore and parts of Central Islip.

As the first Latino on the council and the first representative of District 1, he says he recognizes how important it is for him and his community to have a seat at the table.

"Now, we can have a voice from the community in the town council,” he said. "It's an honor and privilege but also it's a huge responsibility, making sure that I represent these residents with dignity, and in an appropriate way."

A native of El Salvador, Guadrón worked for 15 years for the Salvadoran American Chamber of Commerce. As a councilman, he hopes to tackle issues like homelessness while providing other essential resources to those who need it.

"Mental health, up to some point, is a taboo for many,” said Guadrón. “It is something that they don't want to talk about. And these people, one way or another, they really need some form of mental health care."

His big dream is to reshape Brentwood by creating a thriving downtown area.

"We need to have small businesses thriving in the community,” he said. “There is no secret that small business is the backbone of any local economy. We are trying to develop a business district in Brentwood."

As he looks toward the next two years of his term, Councilman Guadrón says he wants to keep hearing from his constituents – who he refers to as his bosses.

"I'm not any type of boss. On the contrary, the people living in District 1 are my boss,” he said. “So I need them to tell me this is what we want, this is what we need, in addition to me seeing what the needs are."

If you need help, you can get in touch with his office here.

Si necesitas ayuda, sigue este enlace para ponerte en contacto con su oficina.

Para nuestra comunidad hispanohablante, puede ver esta entrevista con Guadrón para aprender más de él en el vídeo abajo: