Town Councilwoman Speaks at Iranian-American Conference in NYC

North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Anna Kaplan recently joined other Iranian professionals from a broad spectrum of disciplines at the Iranian-American Women Foundation’s Leadership Conference in New York.

From Great Neck, Kaplan is the first Iranian-American elected to municipal office in New York State. She was among a list of 40 guest speakers from wide-ranging sectors including business, government, education, entertainment and medicine, according to a North Hempstead press release.

Hosted by the Iranian-American Woman Foundation, the Oct. 27 conference was held in partnership with the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian-Americans and the Persian Gender Network.

Her presentation, entitled “Moving up the Career Ladder in Law, Medicine, and Politics,” traced her “journey” from Iran to North Hempstead.

“The path to success is not always easy, especially when growing accustomed to a new environment and culture is involved,” said Kaplan who fled Iran for the U.S. as a 13-year old in 1979. “But I would tell any youngster that no matter what your background, you can achieve success in government or any industry by working hard, and staying focused on your goal.”

The conference featured a series of workshops focusing on topics such as overcoming obstacles, moving up the career Ladder, the essentials of women’s health and wellness and entrepreneurship do’s and don'ts.