George Andriopoulos, the CEO of the management consulting firm Launchpad 516, and Suzanne D’Amico, the former president of SEPTO, are running for the Farmingdale Board of Education.
D’Amico is running for reelection while Andriopoulos is running as a newcomer. He is looking to replace Michael Goldberg on the board, who is not seeking reelection.
Andriopoulos, a father of four, graduated from Farmingdale High School in 1997 and is memorialized at the high school’s Wall of Fame.
Andriopoulos is also the co-founder of SPEAK, a global public speaking platform for people with ideas and stories.
Throughout his professional career, Andriopoulos has served on multiple committees, including the Legislative Action Committee, the District-Wide Shared Decision-Making Committee, and the Industry Advisory Council, while also remaining an active PTA member.
In addition to the councils and committees, Andriopoulos volunteers with several charities such as the Ronald McDonald House and the Long Island Coalition Against Bullying.
At home, Andriopoulos said he enjoys playing basketball, a passion that has rubbed off on his son and pushed Andriopoulos to get involved in the Farmingdale PAL as a coach. He has taken over as the commissioner of Farmingdale PAL basketball and said he has transformed the program over the last couple of years.
“I turned my hobby into passion, and I love intertwining my personal and professional life so that I can be a person of service,” he said.
Andriopoulos said a goal of his is to mend the disconnect between the district board and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I want to facilitate different ways for the community and the board to be able to communicate so that things happen in a way that’s a lot more productive,” he said.
D’Amico is a wife and mother of three based locally in Farmingdale.
D’Amico attended Five Towns College right out of high school before pursuing a four-year degree in music audio recording technology with a minor in vocal performance. After some difficulties breaking into the music industry, she attended Briarcliff College and earned her associate’s degree in business management.
D’Amico’s professional career was cemented in working as a one-on-one special ed aide in a neighboring district at the middle school level, and previously working on Wall Street for 11 years.
After years of service as an aide, D’Amico went on to start her own child photography business, which she said was an homage to her eldest son, who inspired her to cultivate her love for photography into a business.
“I always liked taking pictures,” she said. “My oldest has special needs, and when we realized he couldn’t sit for a photo, I started doing my own photography for him, and it grew.”
Outside of work, D’Amico stays active in her children’s education as president of SEPTO, a special needs PTA, in past years, continuing to participate in the PTA, and working as a council president overseeing several districts.
D’Amico said she hopes her work on the Farmingdale Board of Education is consistent with her advocacy for education. D’Amico said she hopes to ensure students’ needs are met and they are provided with a robust academic curriculum that allows them to feel accepted and can grow in a good learning environment.
“My accomplishment is to make sure the community feels heard, to make sure that everyone is being held accountable,” she said, “Staying fiscally responsible year to year is so important, and making sure that we stay leading with our curriculum.”
Community members can vote on May 20 for the district’s board of education seat and Farmingdale’s budget.
