Montgomery County officially has a new Board of Commissioners as history-making members take office

Before this year, there had never been an Asian American county commissioner in all of Pennsylvania, or an elected Black female commissioner in Montgomery County.

That changed Wednesday with the swearing-in of Democrats Neil Makhija and Jamila Winder, as well as Republican Tom DiBello.

The commissioners represent the county’s largest leadership shake-up in more than a decade, as Winder begins her first full term and Makhija and DiBello take office for the first time. The new majority members, who bring youth and diversity to the board, have already shown an interest in leading differently.

While the three-member board typically elects a chair for the duration of the four-year term, Democrats Winder and Makhija have opted to share power by alternating as chair each year, beginning with Winder. DiBello, a Republican, holds the one minority-party seat.

» READ MORE: The Montco Board of Commissioners is about to look different and lead differently

Long a Republican stronghold until Democrats flipped the county government in 2011, Montgomery County has become one of the bluest parts of the region.

Supporters on Wednesday filled a gymnasium at Montgomery County Community College — a Plan B venue due to the high demand of the event — to celebrate the commissioners and various county row officers as they took their oaths of office.

The audience gave a standing ovation when Winder, who was initially appointed to the board in early 2023, announced that she was the first Black woman elected as commissioner in the county. She took office for her historic term the day before her grandmother, the Rev. Mary B. Duff, a retired teacher, turns 104.

“She grew up in the era of segregation as the granddaughter of indentured servants during a time when opportunities were limited, and voices like hers were often silenced,” Winder, 45, said of her grandmother. “Despite those challenges, her resilience and determination have been a beacon guiding me to this very moment of promise and possibility made a reality.”

Makhija also made history Wednesday as the first Asian American county commissioner in all of Pennsylvania, and one of the county’s youngest ever commissioners at 37.

Makhija, an election lawyer and civic leader, had the support of Sen. John Fetterman for his bid for office —Makhija also supported Fetterman during his 2022 race. The Democratic senator chatted and took selfies with attendees in the lobby before the ceremony, and Makhija joked that Fetterman didn’t stay for the event due to not meeting the dress code requirements.

On a more serious note, Makhija said his parents were able to provide him the American Dream after they immigrated to Pennsylvania from India in 1971.

“I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference,” he said. “And the reason I stand before you today, then, is that at this time of great division in politics, and economic uncertainty and the erosion of fundamental rights, my family’s experience is what instills in me a commitment to the expansion of that opportunity that we must bestow on the next generation.”

And Makhija’s family’s journey brought them to the same pizza place that DiBello’s frequented, he noted in a nod to DiBello’s remarks, in which the minority party member said the two men discovered they spent a lot of time at the same local joint.

“Everyone knows big decisions are always often made while enjoying pizza,” DiBello joked.

The pizza motif the new colleagues shared in their speeches symbolizes how the three commissioners say they will lead.

Both Democrats, Winder and Makhija can make decisions without buy-in from DiBello, and have their own agenda to deliver on. But all three commissioners have common ground and want all hands to be on deck.

“People ask me what it feels like being in a minority role,” DiBello, 61, said. “My response to them: to me it feels like I’m part of majority rule.”

All of the commissioners cite addressing homelessness as a priority, for example, but it’ll be up to the majority members how much they want to collaborate with DiBello on policy specifics before pushing them through.

And while DiBello wants either no or minimal county tax increases, Makhija and Winder have ambitions for social programs that could be costly. DiBello, a businessman with a background in technology, wants to delve into how the county spends its money; Makhija wants to survey city employees to identify where inefficiencies can be improved; and Winder believes the county should create a department focused on identifying grant or government funding opportunities.

“There are tons of ideas that we have to really put Montgomery on the map, to bring in new programs,” Winder said last month in an interview. “But it costs money to do that, and I want to ensure that we as Montgomery County are not leaving money on the table.”