Sadaf Jaffer is the first South Asian woman to become a mayor in New Jersey and the first female Pakistani-American mayor in the United States.

The Montgomery Committeewoman sworn in as the mayor of the township during its reorganization meeting on January 3 with Attorney General Gurbir Grewal initiating the oath of office, according to India Abroad.

Jaffer, who has been living in the township for five years, was elected to the committee last year on the Democratic Party ticket.

“To me, Montgomery is all about the people that make up our vibrant community,” the Pakistani-American politician said in a statement via India Abroad. “I love attending local events, from the South Asian Charity Organization’s ‘Ootsave’ celebration to the strawberry festival hosted by the Boy Scouts.”

A scholar and activist, Jaffer has experience in cultural education and government service. She previously worked for the United States Marine Corps Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning and the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of South Asian Affairs.

On top of being a postdoctoral research associate in South Asian Studies at Princeton University where she teaches courses on South Asian, Islamic and Asian American Studies, Jaffer also serves as one of the Board of Directors for Art and Resistance through Education (ARTE).

She’s also the Somerset County director for the South Asian American Caucus of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.

Jaffer earned her bachelor’s degree from Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and obtained her PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations with a secondary field in Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality from Harvard University.

Featured Image screenshot via YouTube / Azra Baig