Frank Skartados

Frank Skartados (/skɑːrˈtædoʊs/; born January 3, 1956) is the Assemblyman for the 104th district of the New York State Assembly which includes both the City of Newburgh and the Town of Newburgh; as well as the City of Beacon, the City of Poughkeepsie, the Hamlet of Marlboro, and the Town of Lloyd. He defeated 14-year incumbent Thomas Kirwan in 2008. A Democrat, Skartados was the Assemblyman of the 100th district from 2008 – 2010. Kirwan narrowly recaptured the seat in 2010 but died in late 2011. On March 20, 2012, a special election was held for the vacant seat, which Skartados won with more than 60 percent of the vote. He was re-elected for a full term on November 6, 2012 and on November 4, 2014 by 60% of the vote.

Frank Skartados was the seventh of eight children. He was born on the Greek island of Astypalaia. He grew up on a small farm which he helped his father maintain. At age 14, on July 4, 1970, Frank arrived in New York City with his mother. Skartados graduated from George Washington High School in upper Manhattan. He later worked in the restaurant industry and eventually owned one. His business savvy eventually allotted him the funds to educate himself at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He graduated with honors and a degree in Political Science. At the same time, he worked at the Commandant’s Office of the New York Military Academy in Cornwall, NY.

Post SUNY New Paltz, Skartados attained a master's degree in International Studies at the State University of California at Sacramento. He later served an internship at the United Nations Center Against Apartheid. For the next eight years he returned to the New York Military Academy to serve as chairman of the Health Department. He was also a teacher of Environmental Studies and American History.

In 2000, Skartados abdicated his seat at the Military academy. Since he has devoted his life to renovating properties in downtown Poughkeepsie, including building the Aegean Entertainment Center, the largest entertainment venue between Albany and New York City. Frank is the founder and president of the Academy Street Business Association in Poughkeepsie. The former assembly person helped in the revitalization of the street’s business environment which changed the negative perception of the area. In addition to his work with the Poughkeepsie Partnership – a go-between to promote the partnership of business and city government agencies – Frank also served on the mayor’s Promotions & Events Committee to help further promote and attract new people to the city of Poughkeepsie.

Currently, Skartados is converting his farm in Milton, NY, to the new technology of aquaponics to show local farmers they can save their land – and make a living – by farming year-round using solar, wind and geothermal energy. He is a proponent of agritourism.