The North Shore Board of Education appointed newly re-elected board member Andrea Macari as the board’s president for the 2023-2024 school year at the board’s annual reorganizational meeting Monday night.

Macari is a clinical psychologist and an associate professor of psychology at Suffolk County Community College. She was re-elected to the board during the school district’s May 16 election. She was initially elected to the board in 2020.

Macari was nominated for appointment by Trustee Lisa Colacioppo.

“Andrea is so selfless in her commitment and so focused on advocating for results and real change in our programming,” Colacioppo said. “…We would be lucky to have Dr. Macari as our president.”

Dave Ludmar had served as the board’s president since 2020. He was elected to the board in 2016 and appointed as vice president in 2018.

“It has been an honor to serve as president of this board,” Ludmar said. “It has been an honor to be selected, not just by the community and their election of me as a trustee at large, but also to have the support of my peers for these years in helping steward this district under three superintendents and some of the most challenging times we’ve known.”

Ludmar said that Macari has all the attributes needed to serve in his old post and supports Macari in the position.

“You have the dedication to this district, you have the intelligence as I’ve since firsthand and the commitment to children first, which is what this position should always be,” Ludmar said.

Macari said that while she is thankful for her new role, she is appreciative and fortunate for all her fellow board members who she will continue to work with and rely on for their expertise.

She applauded and thanked Ludmar for his service as president, which encompassed a tenure of challenges for him to navigate while leading the board.

“He was quite frankly our wartime president,” Macari said. “Dave was always balanced, always fair and always focused on what was best for all stakeholders in our district.”

Colacioppo was appointed as the board’s vice president for the upcoming year.

The board also swore in its two newly re-elected board members, Macari and Trustee Rich Galati.

The board appointed various district employees, including its district clerk, counsel and treasurer.

The board also approved the proposed district-wide safety plan, which addresses tactics to prevent or minimize the effects of violent incidents and emergencies on school campuses, collaborating with local and county resources.

Board members said the proposal is to address the changing school environments due to the rise in gun violence on school campuses.