2026 New York General Election

Pascale Jean-Gilles

Pascale Jean-Gilles was born and raised in Nyack and graduated from Nyack High School in 2011. She has a B.A. in Legal Studies from Mercy College.

Pascale earned a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law, where she served as the President of the Black Law Students Association and was a member of the Jessup International Moot Court team. Pascale began her career as a Law Clerk for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson, Drug Court in Atlantic City.

Pascale Jean-Gilles is originally from Nyack. She earned a bachelor's degree in legal studies from Mercy College and a law degree from Western New England University School of Law.

Pascale Jean Gilles - Mercy Alumni

Seeking more opportunity to serve her community, Pascale returned to Nyack and became the Communications Director and Campaign Manager for former State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee. Pascale was also the Outreach Director and Policy Advisor for former State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick.

Pascale was first elected to the Village of Nyack board of Trustees in 2023; and began her second term in 2025. She currently serves as the Legislative Director and Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky in the 92nd District that covers the town of Mount Pleasant and most of the Town of Greenburgh.

Pascale Jean-Gilles currently serves as legislative director and chief of staff for Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky. She previously worked as a communications director and campaign manager for former State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, as an outreach director and policy advisor for former State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick, and as a law clerk for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson's Drug Court in Atlantic City.

Pascale was first elected to the Village of Nyack Board of Trustees in 2023 and began her second term in 2025.

Opposes a development moratorium and favors reviewing development codes.

As of October 27, 2026, Pascale Jean-Gilles’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Defends the right to record police encounters.

Calls for a timely and complete response regarding the state police's role in a town hall incident.

LinkedIn

Buket Urgen

Pascale Jean-Gilles was born and raised in Nyack and graduated from Nyack High School in 2011. She has a B.A. in Legal Studies from Mercy College.

While she was a student at Mercy, Pascale was part of three Model UN teams and got her certification from the NYS Institute for Mediation and Conflict Resolution thru the mediation program at Mercy.

Pascale Jean-Gilles '15

Pascale Jean-Gilles ’15 – a Nyack native, earned her Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from Mercy University and a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law. While at Mercy, she was part of Model UN and got her certificate from the NYS Institute for Mediation and Conflict Resolution.

Mercy Honors 12 Outstanding Alumni: 2025 Alumni Distinction Awards

Pascale Jean-Gilles was born and raised in Nyack. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in legal studies from Mercy University and a law degree from Western New England University School of Law.

Mercy Honors 12 Outstanding Alumni at 2025 Alumni of Distinction ...

Pascale earned a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law, where she served as the President of the Black Law Students Association and was a member of the Jessup International Moot Court team.

Pascale began her career as a Law Clerk for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson, Drug Court in Atlantic City.

Seeking more opportunity to serve her community, Pascale returned to Nyack and became the Communications Director and Campaign Manager for former State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee.

Pascale was first elected to the Village of Nyack board of Trustees in 2023; and began her second term in 2025.

She currently serves as the Legislative Director and Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky in the 92nd District that covers the town of Mount Pleasant and most of the Town of Greenburgh.

Pascale currently serves as legislative director and chief of staff for Assemblywoman MaryJane Shimsky. She previously worked as a law clerk for New Jersey Superior Court Judge Mark Sandson, communications director and campaign manager for former State Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, and outreach director and policy advisor for former State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick.

PASCALE JEAN-GILLES
TRUSTEE AND DEPUTY MAYOR

Term Ends: December 31, 2026
pjeangilles@nyack.gov

Village Board of Trustees

Pascale serves as a Village of Nyack trustee. She was first elected in 2023 and began her second term in 2025.

The Official Website of Nyack, NY - Village Board of Trustees

Said she does not support a moratorium on multifamily development but could support a review of the related codes.

“I don’t see a moratorium, but I can see a review of the codes,” said Trustee Pascale Jean-Gilles.

Last week in a Nyack Village Board workshop, Carlin asked the board to consider a six-month moratorium on new multi-family development village-wide and to rescind waterfront zoning amendments adopted in 2016 in conjunction with the TZ Vista project and revert to prior zoning rules.

Nyack Trustee Calls for Six-Month Moratorium on Multi-Family Building, Rescinding Waterfront Zoning Amendment

Housing & Urban Development

Public Services

As deputy mayor, said the right to record police encounters is well-established and sought information about the state police's role in a town-hall removal.

Village of Nyack Deputy Mayor Pascale Jean-Gilles released the following joint statement today: "We represent communities in New York’s 17th Congressional District. We are hearing from constituents who are outraged by the forcible removal of two women we represent from Congressman Mike Lawler’s town hall in Somers this past Sunday. After reviewing video footage and news coverage of the event, we share their concerns. One of our constituents was removed from the event for recording a state police encounter with another constituent, whose conduct at the event did not appear to be out of keeping with the general tenor of the meeting. The right to record police encounters is well-established, and it is troubling that she was removed from the meeting for exercising this right. The overall optics of this event - with police forcibly removing women from the premises while permitting men behaving similarly to stay - are disturbing. Many people are asking questions about the role state police played in Sunday’s event; we have reached out for more information about this and look forward to a timely and complete response to these questions."

Hudson Valley Officials' Joint Statement

The right to record police encounters is well-established, and it is troubling that she was removed from the meeting for exercising this right. The overall optics of this event - with police forcibly removing women from the premises while permitting men behaving similarly to stay - are disturbing. Many people are asking questions about the role state police played in Sunday’s event; we have reached out for more information about this and look forward to a timely and complete response to these questions.