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.
School Committee Members
School Committee Member Terms
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.
Shauna Murray
Interim Vice Chair
Shauna 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.
Lauren Diffenbach
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.
Christopher Shepley
Committee Member
Christopher Shepley was elected to the Andover School Committee in March 2025. A lifelong resident of Andover, he is a proud product of Andover Public Schools, having attended West Elementary, West Middle School, and graduating from Andover High School in 2024.
He is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in accounting at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In addition to his academic work, Christopher serves as a college hockey referee, officiating games throughout New England.
Prior to his election, he served on the Ballardvale Historic District Commission and completed the Andover Leadership Academy, a civic education program designed to introduce residents to town government, planning, and policy-making.
Chris' term expires in 2028.
Jake Tamarkin
Committee Member
Jacob (Jake) was elected to the Andover School Committee in March 2025. Jake is Chief Executive Officer of Everyday Life, Inc., an investor-backed insurance technology startup he co-founded in 2018. Previously, Jake held senior roles leading corporate strategy teams at MetLife, Ernst & Young, The Bank of New York Mellon and Foresters Financial. Prior to his career in financial services, Jake was a professional musician specializing in improvised music in a variety of genres.
Jake and his family moved here from Brooklyn, NY in 2017. They are a proud South-Doherty-Andover High family and he has been an active participant in our local governance, including recently serving on the Superintendent’s Budget Advisory Council. Jake can often be found on the AVIS trails with their Bichon Frisé, Taco, who shares the family’s affections with Manny the cat and Millie, a surprisingly unflappable rabbit.
Jake holds a Master's in Business Administration from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and attended Berklee College of Music, where he majored in Jazz Composition.
Jake’s term expires in 2028.