Senator Andrew J. Lanza was elected to represent Staten Island’s 24th New York State Senate District on November 7, 2006. As a former New York City Council member, prosecutor, accountant and business owner, Senator Lanza brings extensive public and private experience to the Senate. Senator Lanza earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from St. John’s University. In 1992, he received a Juris Doctor degree from Fordham University School of Law. Senator Lanza and his wife Marcele, a NYC Public School Teacher, have three children, Olivia, Abigail and Andrew Jack. They reside in the town of Great Kills. During his tenure in the City Council, Lanza established himself as one of Staten Island’s most effective leaders, standing up for the best interests of the people of Staten Island. He has led the fight against overdevelopment by authoring and enacting tough and comprehensive zoning laws which will prevent overly dense and out of character construction. These new laws, the most sweeping in decades, will help preserve Staten Island’s small town suburban character, which make it such an attractive place to live and raise a family. Lanza has successfully championed for improvements to Staten Island’s schools, parks and open spaces. He secured millions of dollars for new classrooms, computer and science labs, books, playgrounds and school safety improvements. Lanza also scored victories by saving many acres of open space and delivering tens of millions of dollars for new active and passive recreational parks. These include the first city soccer, baseball, and softball fields ever for Staten Island’s South Shore. He also secured a key agreement from Mayor Bloomberg to open a new Police precinct on Staten Island. Senator Lanza currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Cities Committee and Co-Chair of both the Legislative Ethics Commission and the Senate Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy Recovery.