Biography

Nelson L. Castro was born on January 25, 1972, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He moved to New York City at the age of 11, where he was enrolled in the public school system. Soon after, his family relocated to the State of Michigan, where he completed high school at Berrien Springs High. He then continued his education and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Andrews University. There he became co-founder of the Latin American Student Club.

In the summer of 1994, Castro returned to New York and moved into a humble apartment in the West Bronx. In 1995, he started working in the health care industry where he served for about 10 years as Sales Manager and Community Outreach Coordinator. Castro was able to get first-hand experience in the public sector by serving as Chief of Staff for Adriano Espaillat, then-State Assembly Member for the 72nd District. There he handled cases from immigration and housing to domestic violence. It was in this function where it became evident that he had a calling to become a servant of the people. In November 2008, Nelson Castro made history by becoming the first Dominican American elected to public office in the Bronx.

For over 10 years, Castro has contributed to the development of communities of color in the West Bronx, as well as in upper Manhattan. His public service career solidified with his involvement in organizations such as the Children Arts & Science Workshop, the UMCED, the Washington Heights and Inwood Coalition, the Dominican Community Service Center, Plaza Las Americas, the Washington Heights Arts Center, and Dominicans 2000. These organizations focus on providing different services to people of limited resources. Within these organizations, Castro occupied various capacities ranging from co-founder, director, president of the board, or simply being an active member.

Castro continues to work on the well-being of the community and continues to fight for quality education, affordable housing and health care, and immigrants’ rights. In 2010, Assemblyman Castro introduced legislation (A10190) to allow affiliated vehicles in the city of New York to obtain a special street hail license to accept hails from passengers in the street in areas outside the Manhattan central business district. In 2012, he supported a landmark legislation (A8691A) that allowed New York City to issue 18,000 hail accessible inter-borough licenses (HAIL) allowing livery cars to pick up street hails. In 2009, Castro also introduced Castro Care, a preventive health care initiative to provide free health screenings throughout his district.

Castro received the 2010 Legislator of the Year Award in Albany for the outstanding work that he has done within the community and the State. He has also received numerous recognitions from different organizations and associations including: Hermanas Mirabal Family Center, Inc., Sociedad Medico Dental Dominicana, Tiebout Black Association, Oval Community Youth Program, and other organizations and public schools within the 86th Assembly District.

Castro is currently the First Vice-Chairman of the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators as well as an active member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, and the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asia Legislative Caucus.

Castro has published various articles on the importance of our right to vote and has participated in public forums that have encouraged people to exercise their right to vote. Asked of his greatest accomplishments, Casro says, “Having made history by becoming the first Dominican American elected to public office in the Bronx and my children.” He is a loving father of his daughter, Jennel, his son, Christopher, and his younger daughter Kamilah.

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