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Pamela J. Hunter grew up in Upstate New York and served in the United States Army, where she was later honorably discharged with a commendation medal and two achievement medals. After her military service, Pamela received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Strayer College in Washington D.C., with concentrations in human resources and computer information systems. She also has a professional certification in human resources and a Doctor of Humane Letters Honorary Degree from Le Moyne College. Assemblymember Hunter represents the 128th Assembly District, one of the most diverse districts in the state, which includes urban, suburban, and rural areas, as well as the Onondaga Nation. The district encompasses the southern, near west, and eastern portions of the City of Syracuse and the surrounding towns of Dewitt, Onondaga, and Salina.
Prior to her election to the New York State Assembly in 2015, Pamela served on the Syracuse Common Council for three years and chaired the Public Safety Committee. She also has broad professional experience, having held executive positions with nonprofit organizations and professional service firms. Her community service includes participation on various boards: AccessCNY, Catholic Charities, Meals on Wheels, Home Aides of Central New York, and the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency.
As a Member of the Assembly, Ms. Hunter chairs the Banks Committee. Additionally, she is currently the only female veteran in the State Legislature, giving her unique insight as the Chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Women Veterans. Pamela is also a member of the Insurance, Energy, and Veteran Affairs Committees, as well as the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus and the Women’s Caucus. Nationally, Pamela serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and as Vice President for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL). In this role, she oversees the organization’s finances and continues to introduce model laws for adoption in states across the country. In 2023, she passed a model bill, now signed into law, that ensures biomarker diagnostic coverage under health insurance plans. This legislation requires that every state-regulated insurance plan, including Medicaid, provide coverage for biomarker testing, a critical tool used by doctors to determine the best treatment for diseases such as cancer.
Assemblymember Hunter has been a stalwart defender of human rights and has sponsored legislation to protect the most vulnerable residents of New York State. She has championed anti-poverty legislation, such as the Driver’s License Suspension Reform Act, which ends the practice of suspending a driver’s license for the nonpayment of fines, which has disproportionately negatively impacted our poor and populations of color. Another of her enacted bills secured a property tax credit for low-income households required to carry flood insurance. Ms. Hunter also sponsors numerous bills relating to industries or professions that aid businesses in the delivery of services, improve the quality of products available to consumers, and make communities better and safer.
Pamela Hunter lives in Syracuse with her husband, son, and rescue dog.