FOR RELEASE: October 18, 2023
Longtime school board members Guy Leggio of the Bay Shore School District and Bob Vecchio of the William Floyd School District will be honored with the New York State School Boards Association's highest award for school board service when members from around the state gather in Buffalo next week.
The Everett R. Dyer Award for Distinguished School Board Service is given annually to a current or former school board member who, in the judgment of the NYSSBA awards committee, should be recognized for outstanding contributions to public education and children in his or her home school district. This year, a tie vote resulted in two winners.
"Guy Leggio and Bob Vecchio have outstanding records of effective advocacy for public education," said NYSSBA President Peggy Zugibe. "They both demonstrate the power of sustained and collegial leadership to make a difference in the lives of our students." 
Leggio, a 1981 graduate of Bay Shore High School, has served on his hometown school board since 2008. He has worked in professional masonry for 35 years and is a member of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1.
"The story of Guy Leggio is a profile in public service, "wrote Bay Shore Superintendent Steven J. Maloney, who also described
Leggio as "a model of an active, involved board member" in his letter of support.
Since his election to the Bay Shore board in 2008, Leggio has been an advocate for career and technical education opportunities for students, and he is known for his knowledgeable insight into capital project needs and concerns.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Leggio initiated the district’s procurement of a former armory, which was transformed into a state-of-the-art pre-kindergarten center. With his energy and expertise in construction, he has donated his time to help build a three-car garage at the Bay Shore High School athletic fields and laid bricks for the school district’s 9/11 Memorial Garden and a Memory Walk.
Leggio also has supported students through his 26-year career as a high school wrestling coach in East Islip. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013, and he received the National Wrestling Coach Award for New York State in 2015.
His leadership history has included multiple terms as president and vice president of the Bay Shore school board.
Bob Vecchio, who had a 30-year career in health care accounting, was elected to the William Floyd board in 2003 and served through 2021. He was president for 15 of his years on the board and now is executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, which serves more than 100 local boards on Long Island.
William Floyd Superintendent Kevin Coster lauded Vecchio's "strong leadership skills, dedication and tireless advocacy for students and the community." During his time on the board, Coster noted,
William Floyd’s progress featured a sharply increased graduation rate, Moody’s bond rating increases, the approval of a transformational capital project and the introduction of new in-house programs.
Vecchio championed the launch of capital projects and programs including two schools specializing in educating students who need lower student-to-teacher ratios and special building-wide management systems. He also was an advocate for expanded career and technical education programs and twice led successful superintendent searches.
Vecchio hosts a weekly radio show called Spotlight on Long Island Schools, and he spearheaded the formation of the Brookhaven Chapter of Our Community Salutes, an organization that honors seniors who have chosen to enlist in the military.
Presentation of the 2023 Dyer awards to Leggio and Vecchio will take place Oct. 26-28 at NYSSBA’s Annual Convention & Education Expo in Buffalo.