Mark Lesko

Mark J. Lesko (born February 4, 1967) is the Executive Director of Accelerate Long Island. He is a former American politician and Assistant U.S. Attorney.

Accelerate Long Island is a regional collaboration among Long Island's major research institutions, including Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Hofstra University, the North Shore-LIJ Feinstein Institute, Stony Brook University, and the business community to commercialize research and create high tech startup companies.

Lesko is a native of Washington D.C. He is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a quarterback on the varsity football team. In 1994, Lesko received his law degree from Georgetown University Law School, graduating on the Dean's list and serving as a Notes Editor of the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal.

On August 15, 2012, Lesko was selected by the Board of Directors of Accelerate Long Island to become the organization's first Executive Director.

In 2009, Lesko was the Democratic candidate for the open Brookhaven Town Supervisor position, which was vacated by Democrat Brian X. Foley. Lesko's opponent for the special election to fill the seat was a town councilman, Republican Tim Mazzei. The special election for town supervisor was held on March 31, 2009 and Lesko topped the sitting Councilman Mazzei with almost 55% of the vote. Supervisor Lesko beat Martin Haley in the general election on November 3, 2009, receiving 56% of the vote. Supervisor Lesko won his third term on November 8, 2011 against Republican Challenger Cecile Forte with nearly 60% of the vote.

Lesko practiced law at firms in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. He then served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for 10 years, from 1999-2002 in the District of Columbia and 2002-2009 in the Eastern District of New York.

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