Janele and her two sisters, Michele and Donelle come from a loving family. Her parents were married for 45 years and they instilled solid values in their children: hard work, dedication and the importance of supporting each other.

Janele and her husband Doug have been married for 19 years and live in Great Kills.

Growing up, Janele spent many hours with her father at the family-owned small business, Hyer Drapery Service. There, Janele did everything from cleaning to separating drapery hooks to help the business succeed.

Janele’s father, Jerry, battled cancer twice, first beating lung cancer, and recently losing a long battle with prostate cancer.

Since the family didn’t have adequate health insurance, Janele’s mother took another job for the benefits and to keep the family business up and running.

Janele has seen firsthand the challenges families face to stay healthy, and that is why she provides a strong voice in ensuring that our families have access to the health care they need and deserve.

Her father’s illness changed Janele’s life, and she turned her focus to family and service. She decided to enroll at CUNY to become a lawyer and help people.

As an attorney, Janele is an expert in child welfare and was the legal director of My Sister’s Place – which provided legal services and advocacy for women and children affected by domestic violence.

She also has a masters degree in public policy from Queens College.

Janele watched her family struggle, and ultimately make it. As our Assemblywoman she is helping other families do the same.

Janele is fighting for mom-and-pop businesses overburdened by government regulations and taxes, helping working families struggling to make ends meet for their children, helping seniors who are having trouble paying for their prescription drugs after a lifetime of hard work, and keeping sexual predators off our streets.