The terms are staggered so that no more than two seats are set to expire with the Andover town election each March. Per Committee policy, the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Committee are voted by the current members at the first regular meeting after the town election (typically in March), with any change to these roles taking effect at the conclusion of Andover's Annual Town Meeting.
Chair
Email Lauren M. Conoscenti, Ph D.
Lauren Conoscenti has served on the Andover School Committee since June 2020. She is currently the Assistant Head of School for Analytic Support and Assessment at Phillips Academy Andover, where she oversees data collection and analysis to support the academy's strategic initiatives. She also provides primary leadership for policies regarding the preservation, management, and governance of institutional data. Previously, she worked in the Office of Institutional Research at Tufts University and taught undergraduate and graduate students at Harvard University.
In the Andover community, Lauren volunteers for A Better Chance of Andover and is a member of the Andover Community Garden Association. Previously she served on the South Elementary School Improvement Council, the South PTO, and co-led an Andover Girl Scout troop.
Lauren has two children and has been an APS parent since 2014. She earned a B.A. from Princeton University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University, both in psychology. She completed her clinical internship at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Lauren's current term expires in 2026.
Vice Chair
Email Sandis Wright
Sandis Wright became a member of the School Committee in 2022. He has worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield for over 25 years and is currently Managing Director at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) supporting Information Management. In his current role, he’s responsible for data acquisition and integration to deliver analytic insights to business consumers for the Federal Employee Program. He also participates on the BCBSA Diversity Council and co-leads the Pride Employee Resource Group.
Sandis and his family have lived in Andover since 2011. His two daughters attend Andover Public Schools. He has held a number of volunteer positions throughout Andover including currently serving on the board of A Better Chance (ABC) of Andover and was previously appointed to the Town of Andover Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and participates on various working groups. He also supports the Bancroft PTO and Doherty PAC, Andover Parent to Parent and has been a co-team manager for Destination Imagination.
Sandis has a B.S. from Westbrook College (at the University of New England) and holds a Scrum Master Certification for agile project development.
Sandis’ term expires 2025.
Committee Member
Email Emily DiCesaro
Emily DiCesaro was elected to the Andover School Committee in 2022. She is a professional in human-centered user experience design for IBM and has been working in various roles in her industry for 23 years. Emily's passion to create digital design has motivated her life experiences and produced an impressive travel record, with wide-spanning temporary domiciles from Seattle to Scotland. Her travel and observational prowess have placed Emily in the unique position of leading the user experience design for applications that serve the corporations that take great strides in reducing their impact on our global climate.
Emily moved from Chicago with her family to Andover in 2013 in search of the best opportunity for her children. In the years following, her previous energy spent on world travel has been directed to improve that opportunity by getting involved in organizing school events and field trips, volunteering for The Wish Project, The Mother Connection, and Neighbors in Need. Emily was appointed to the Andover Youth Center Steering Committee by Town Manager Andrew Flanagan prior to her election to the School Committee. She is also serving on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Racial Climate and Reporting working group.
Emily has a B.A. in Graphic Design from St. Olaf College and a M.Sc. in Design and Digital Media from Edinburgh University.
Emily's term expires 2025.
Committee Member
Email Lauren Diffenbach
Lauren was elected to the Andover School Committee in March 2024. Previously she worked as an educator with Lawrence Public Schools for 17 years. She has experience as a second grade classroom teacher as well as an English as a second language teacher. Most recently she held the position of Language Acquisition Team Facilitator overseeing compliance and educational services for multilingual learners while providing leadership and professional development to teachers.
Lauren and her family have lived in Andover since 2012. Lauren has volunteered as a room parent and library volunteer at South Elementary School. Prior to teaching Lauren worked as the Volunteer Program Director for Exeter Hospital preceded by years of hospital volunteer work.
Lauren has a B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Education from Salem State University and a M.Ed. in Reading and Literacy from Endicott College.
Lauren’s term expires in 2027.
was elected to the Andover School Committee in March of 2024. She is currently an English teacher at Nashua High School South in Nashua, NH. In her twenty years at NHSS, Shauna has taught all four core English classes, Freshman Writing, and Advanced Placement Literature and Composition. She has also served in a multitude of leadership capacities, from advising student-teachers and mentoring new hires, to developing and redesigning curriculum and piloting new academic programs. She has been recognized by her students and colleagues as both a faculty graduation speaker and a No Bell winner, which is an annual award presented by the National Honor Society to a teacher who leads students, communicates enthusiasm and respect for their subject, inspires students to develop a hunger for learning, and serves as a role model for students.
Shauna has been a resident of Andover since 2009. She and her husband, Rory, are parents to two daughters who attend Bancroft Elementary School. Shauna has volunteered as a room parent for many years, and she always looks forward to the times when she can help out in the Bancroft library. On most weekends, you can find her cheering on her girls at either a soccer game, a lacrosse game, or a tennis match.
Shauna received her B.A. in Communication from Boston College, her M.Ed in Secondary Education and Curriculum from Boston College, and her M.A. in English Literature from the University of Massachusetts. Additionally, she completed a Summer Literature Program at Oxford University in 2012.
Shauna’s term expires in 2027.
