An Indian-American has been elected mayor of the upscale village of Laurel Hollow in New York State.

Harvinder S Anand, who graduated as a chemical engineer from Punjab University, Chandigarh, is the president of Royce International, a multi-national corporation involved in the manufacture of industrial chemicals for textile, aerospace, electrical, automotive, marine and construction industries.

Laurel Hollow is a water front community on the North Shore of Long Island, in Nassau County, which has some of the most expensive real estate in the country -- prices of homes range from $2 million to $15 million.

The residents enjoy a private beach and beautiful surroundings of Cold Spring Harbor.

Anand has been a resident of the village for over 10 years and an active participant in community service. He served as the President of Harbour Ridge Homeowners Association, an exclusive gated community in the village.

Anand was also appointed to the Planning Board of the village.

Laurel Hollow is home to the 107-acre Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, an internationally recognized genetic and cancer research centre that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The experimental stations from which it grew were established in 1893, predating the village. Three researchers at the centre have won Nobel prizes for their genetic work.