Sarah Anker is a former Suffolk County Legislator, where she served over 12 years until she was term limited in 2023. As longtime community advocate, public servant and working mom she has a history of improving her community focusing on children’s health, public safety, economic stability, and environmental preservation.

Over 20 years ago, she founded Community Health and Environment Coalition (CHEC) and led the organization to raise awareness about how our environment directly impacts our health. Sarah’s advocacy was vital in advancing New York State Department of Health’s cancer cluster investigation.

Along with her friends and neighbors, she helped advocate to create a community park on property slated to be developed. Through this advocacy, today’s Heritage Park in Mount Sinai shines as a community jewel. http://www.msheritagetrust.org.

Prior to being elected, Sarah spearheaded the creation of Brookhaven Town’s first Energy Department. As Director of the department, she implemented the Green Homes Go Solar programs, which provided energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities and resources for Brookhaven Town’s 500,000 residents. 

As a Legislator, she chaired the Suffolk County’s Education and Information Technology Committee, Seniors and Human Services Committee, the Health Committee, the School Traffic Safety Commission, and Suffolk County’s Addiction Prevention and Support Advisory Panel. She was Vice-Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, and the Veterans Committee, and a member of the Ways and Means Committee, the Public Safety Committee and the Environment, Parks, and Agriculture Committee, and the Public Works and Energy Committee.

Her legislative accomplishments include: the initiation of the SAVE Hotline (School Active Violence Emergency), an emergency notification system to improve school safety; increasing bullying awareness with the creation of Suffolk County’s first bullying awareness website www.SuffolkStopBullying.org; protecting our residents from scams by creating Suffolk’s scam alert website www.SCPDscamalert.org; facilitating the launch of a Suffolk County webpage dedicated to addiction and mental health resources www.SuffolkStopAddiction.org; enhancing the county’s efforts to keep young people on Long Island through the creation of the Jobs Opportunity Board (JOB) that connects our graduating seniors to local jobs; providing attainable housing for young adults through the Planned Young Adult Community (PYAC) concept that builds housing on or near college campuses; partnered with PSEG to create an energy efficiency rebate program for electric customers; facilitating the 10-mile North Shore Rail Trail Recreational Path; creating a Veteran’s Resource Guide; sponsoring legislation to require merchants to post an e-liquid/liquid nicotine warning; sponsoring a law to ban the intentional release of balloons to protect sea life and keep our beaches clean and supporting the county’s acquisition of thousands of acres of open space and farmland preservation.

Sarah was honored with the New York State Senate and Assembly’s Woman of Distinction Award, Rotary Club Community Service Award, Woman of the Year for Environment designation (Record Newspaper), and has received citations from both the Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County for community service. She has served on United States Congressman Tim Bishop’s Breast Cancer Advisory Board, New York State Senator Ken LaValle’s Environmental Roundtable, Suffolk County’s Cancer Awareness and Support Taskforce, Brookhaven National Laboratory Legislative Roundtable, the Mt. Sinai School Board, and the Mt. Sinai Civic Association Board.

Sarah is a strong advocate and supporter for many local non-profit organizations including historical societies, local children’s sport associations, school organizations, veteran’s support groups, business organizations, community service not for profits, civic associations, environmental organizations, senior services support groups, educational museums, cycling/sports clubs and health related support groups.

 She lives in Mt. Sinai, New York where she has raised her three children.