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Mostly Cloudy North Shore School District alumna becomes Board of Education president
Andrea Macari, of Glen Head, was elected the new president of the North Shore School District Board of Education Monday, replacing outgoing President Dave Ludmar.
Macari, 45, retained her seat on the board in the election earlier this year, running unopposed. She is a graduate of the district, and works as a clinical psychologist and a professor of psychology at Suffolk Community College.
Lisa Colacioppo, Macari's friend of eight years and her fellow board member, nominated Macari at the beginning of the meeting, citing her diligence and her personal commitment to the district. Ludmar added that it was important for him to pass the torch to give new leadership to the organization.
“I think it’s important for boards to continually have a moving on of leaders. I don’t think this position is something that anyone should own,” Ludmar said. “You have the dedication to the district, you have the intelligence, as I’ve seen firsthand, and the commitment to children first, which is what this position should always be.”
During Macari’s time on the board, including while serving as vice president for the past scholastic year, she has been an outspoken proponent for the district’s early and special-education programs. Especially important to her was the implementation of universal pre-kindergarten classes for the district, which she said was essential in establishing a love of learning and social skills in children.
After being elected by the board, Macari thanked her fellow trustees for their belief and support. She also praised the efforts of Ludmar, whom she described as having led the North Shore “through what was arguably our district’s most challenging time.”
Macari described the litany of problems and issues faced and overcome by the board and the district over the last three years from dealing with the LIPA crisis to the pandemic and the culture wars facing the nation. Macari praised Ludmar’s leadership throughout these crises and said she looks forward to continuing to work with him.
“I’m not going to lie, this is daunting, in part because for the last three years I have watched Dave Ludmar as the (Board of Education) president lead our community,” Macari said. “Dave was always balanced, always fair and always focused on what was best for all stakeholders in our district.”
Macari also praised her fellow trustees, citing her years of experience working with them and the trust and rapport they built in that time. She praised everyone, including Richard Galati, her former teacher while a student in the district, who she fondly said she’d known and looked up to for the last 30 years.
Macari’s fellow trustee Lisa Colacioppo, of Sea Cliff, was elected as the new vice president. Nominated by Maria Mosca, Colacioppo has been on the board for two years. Macari and fellow board members praised Colacioppo’s devotion to the district, work ethic and organizational skills.
Macari also mentioned that she has been close friends with Colacioppo since an unlikely meeting watching their children play tennis together eight years ago, and that it was “pretty darn cool” that they would now be leading the board together. She added that although she acknowledges there are still challenges for the board and the district to overcome, she was confident they would be able to handle anything that comes their way.
“While the last several years haven’t been easy for any of us, I do believe we have become a better and closer board because of it,” Macari said. “I am honored for the opportunity to serve in this new way and I look forward to all that is to come.”
