Gina Picinich is a dedicated public servant and human resources professional whose career spans corporate, nonprofit, and government leadership. With a passion for communication, collaboration, and public service, Gina has built a reputation for helping organizations navigate change while staying grounded in the principles of fairness and accountability that define New York’s civil service system.

Gina currently serves as the Deputy Commissioner of Human Resources for Westchester County Government, focusing on the county’s 122 local jurisdictions. In this role, she helps administer civil service for a wide range of municipalities and public organizations, including cities, towns, villages, school districts, libraries, fire departments, and special districts. Appointed to the position in June 2024, Gina brings a unique combination of human resources expertise and hands-on local government experience to the role. Her focus is on strengthening partnerships with local leadership, addressing operational challenges, and ensuring agencies can effectively meet their workforce needs while upholding the core civil service principles of merit and fitness.

Prior to joining Westchester County, Gina served three terms as Mayor of the Village of Mount Kisco, first winning office through an independent campaign that unseated a fourteen-year incumbent. During her six years as mayor, she focused on building strong relationships across all levels of government while working to ensure local government remained responsive and accountable to residents, property owners, and businesses. Her experience in elected office has given her a deep understanding of the challenges municipalities face, helping her better support local partners in her current role.

Throughout her career, Gina has held numerous leadership roles in the private and nonprofit sectors, including positions such as Product Support Manager, Customer Service Director, National Training Director, Vice President of Professional and Organizational Development, and Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Education. Known as a strong communicator and storyteller, she has a talent for simplifying complex ideas and helping teams navigate periods of growth and change.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Gina remains actively engaged in her community and professional networks. She is involved with the Westchester Municipal Administrators Association, the Westchester Municipal Officials Association—where she previously served as Vice President—and the Mount Kisco Chamber of Commerce. She has also volunteered her time with the Bedford Central School District Budget Advisory Committee, the Mount Kisco Elementary School PTO, Fox Lane Youth Lacrosse, and programs within her local parish.

When reflecting on her accomplishments, Gina points first to her family. She credits her greatest achievement to raising two daughters with her husband, Nick, describing them as smart, empathetic, and happy young women who are successfully forging their own paths in the world.

In her professional journey, Gina believes one skill stands above the rest: communication. She emphasizes the importance of clearly setting expectations, maintaining accountability, and ensuring that individuals and organizations fully understand their goals and responsibilities. These principles, she notes, are key to helping both people and organizations reach their potential.

For those new to the civil service field, Gina offers practical advice: while New York’s civil service system is highly structured, it is also nuanced. She encourages newcomers to actively seek out the many available manuals and online resources, listen carefully, and confirm their understanding of policies and processes. Most importantly, she believes every decision should be considered through the lens of fairness and the broader impact it may have on the system as a whole.

Looking ahead, Gina is optimistic about the future of civil service in New York. She is particularly encouraged by the ongoing civil service transformation efforts aimed at modernizing hiring processes. She believes the current system can be too complex and time-consuming for both applicants and hiring agencies, and that more responsive, vacancy-based hiring models will better connect qualified candidates with open positions and strengthen the public workforce.

Outside of work, Gina enjoys traveling and exploring new cultures, environments, and cuisines. Recent family trips to Europe have provided memorable experiences, and she and her husband also enjoy visiting their daughters who live in Chicago and Washington, D.C. At home, Gina spends time in the kitchen experimenting with healthier versions of favorite recipes as part of her recent focus on health and fitness.

With a career built on leadership, collaboration, and service, Gina Picinich continues to play an important role in supporting local governments and advancing the effectiveness of New York’s civil service system!