Photography by Megan Mumford
This story is part of our annual Capital Region Gives Back initiative that honors 10 locals who are making our community a better place. Read up on all of the 2026 honorees and join us on December 9 for the 8th annual Capital Region Gives Back event at Putnam Place.
Scott DeMarco was a high school junior when his life changed.
Back then, he didn’t know much about CAPTAIN Community Human Services, a nonprofit that helps feed and shelter kids in need, among many other noble acts. He signed up to volunteer a few days a week, answering calls from kids stressed about homework. But one call in particular, from a student experiencing suicidal ideation, underscored the seriousness of CAPTAIN’s mission.
That call left an indelible mark on DeMarco. “I thought it was really special to have people in the community care about helping other people when they didn’t have to,” he remembers.
Life carried on. In 2017, DeMarco started his own business-valuation firm, which eventually began racking up affluent, Manhattan-based clients. The company was flourishing.
But despite his success, Scott felt he had lost touch with his community. “We were doing well, but it just wasn’t fulfilling at all,” he says of running his company.
DeMarco reconnected with CAPTAIN in 2020, becoming a board member. He sold his company in 2024, and two years later, became CAPTAIN’s new executive director, taking the reins from Andy Gilpin, who stepped down due to a progressing ALS diagnosis.
“Andy’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, completely dedicated to CAPTAIN,” DeMarco says. “He really inspired me.”
Though he hasn’t led CAPTAIN for long, DeMarco’s been busy. Earlier this year, CAPTAIN opened a new location in Gloversville. Just one day after its ribbon cutting, the new director was working on purchasing a facility in Clifton Park that would dramatically increase the organization’s footprint.
“There are so many people that are suffering right now, and we’re just trying to alleviate some of that,” DeMarco says. “I think in this world where there are so many crazy things going on in the news, it’s not only good to help the community, but I think it’s really healthy for me, too.”
