Napoleon Nelson
Napoleon Nelson
Rep. Napoleon Nelson was elected to represent the 154th Legislative District in November 2020.Nelson is the current chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. He serves on the Appropriations, Children and Youth, and Education committees. He founded and Chairs the Emerging Technologies Caucus, as well as belongs to the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and the Southeast Delegation .A native of Philadelphia’s Mt. Airy neighborhood, Nelson moved to Cheltenham Township in 2003. He has been active in the community and civic leadership ever since. Nelson was elected to the Cheltenham School Board in 2011, was chairman of the Finance and Personnel committees, and served as president of the board. In 2017 he was elected Cheltenham’s Finance Officer.
Upon his being sworn in as the Finance Officer, he had to step down from the Cheltenham Township School Board, but his advocacy for public education found a new avenue. He previously served on the board of trustees for the Montgomery County Community College, where he fulfilled his commitment in preparing young people for careers and continued education with vision, fiscal responsibility, and managerial professionalism.
Nelson is a proud member of Central High School’s 257th graduating class. He holds a B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Nelson is a finance professional with experience in investment analysis, planning & analysis, and corporate strategy. He has worked for regional powerhouses like Vanguard, Campbell Soup, and SEI Investments. Prior to becoming the Finance Officer, Nelson founded Market Literacy Project, a venture that created financial literacy materials and lesson plans to help students develop skills to be better consumers, producers, creators, and business leaders.Nelson married his high school sweetheart, Shareese in 2002. They have two teenage children, one who graduated from, and one who currently attends Cheltenham Public Schools. He and his family are members of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church and are active supporters of Cheltenham’s youth sports programs.