Education
Skartados graduated from George Washington High School in upper Manhattan.
Skartados graduated from George Washington High School in upper Manhattan.
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.
He was re-elected for a full term on November 6, 2012 and on November 4, 2014 by 60% of the vote.
Early Life and 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.
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’ General’ s Office of the New York Military Academy in Cornwall, New New York He later served an internship at the United Nations Center Against Apartheid.
Foreign the next eight years he returned to the New York Military Academy to serve as chairman of the Health Department.
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.
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, New York, 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.