Neil Makhija is County Commissioner of Pennsylvania's third largest county of 865,000 residents, overseeing a local government with over a $1 billion budget and 3,500 employees covering election administration, civil and criminal justice systems, human services, assets & infrastructure, commerce, child welfare, among many other issues. The first Indian American or AAPI Commissioner elected in the history of Pennsylvania, Commissioner Makhija serves as Chair of the Board of Elections.Prior to public service, Neil Makhija has been a public interest lawyer, educator, and community organizer. He served as Executive Director and now as President of Indian American Impact, the nation’s leading South Asian civic and political organization. Mr. Makhija's law practice focused on issues of consumer protection, workers' rights, and the public interest. He has represented public clients against opioid manufacturers, as well as parents and children in the first class action against JUUL Labs, Inc. for the unlawful marketing of e-cigarettes to children. He is a Lecturer in Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Mr. Makhija earned his J.D. at Harvard Law School on the Horace Lentz Scholarship, which was endowed by a 19th century Pennsylvania coal magnate. While at Harvard, he founded the HLS Homelessness Coalition and was a Senior Policy Editor on the Harvard Law & Policy Review. He received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, where he studied neuroscience and served as co-president of his class and commencement speaker. As the son of Indian immigrants who made Pennsylvania home, Mr. Makhija is passionate about enfranchising underrepresented communities and engaging new citizens in state and local politics.