Nellie Pou

Nelida "Nellie" Pou (born May 20, 1956) is an American Democratic Party politician who has served in the New Jersey Senate since 2012, representing the 35th Legislative District. She previously represented the 35th district in the General Assembly. When Pou was sworn into the Assembly on January 29, 1997, to succeed Bill Pascrell, she became the first woman and the first Hispanic to represent the 35th district.

Career

Pou attended Kean College, Rutgers University and the University of Virginia (Business Administration). She is an Assistant Business Administrator in Paterson.

She was appointed to a vacant Assembly seat on January 29, 1997 to succeed Bill Pascrell who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Pou was the Assembly's Deputy Speaker from 2002-2005 and the Assistant Minority Leader from 2000-2001.

In the Assembly Pou served on the Appropriations Committee (as Chair), the Budget Committee, the Education Committee and the Joint Budget Oversight Committee. Previously, Pou served on the Senior Issues Committee (as Chair), the Appropriations Committee (as Vice Chair) and the Education Committee. She has served on the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect since 1997 and was Chair of the Paterson Department of Human Resources from 1983-1997. She served on the Passaic-Bergen County HIV Health Services Advisory Council from 1993-1997.