With the world almost literally at his fingertips, Gregg Tripoli relocated to Central New York - his true home. Photo by Kossy@FINEDAYS

For a man who fluently speaks more languages than you could count on one hand, it may not surprise you that he has also sat next to the queen of England and the son of the explorer who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb.

It may surprise you, however, that he cites Adam Sandler as his closest personal friend.  It may surprise you even further that this man, Gregg Tripoli, is a Liverpool High School alum.

As a student at LHS in the early ’70s, Tripoli studied Spanish and French, as well as English and history.  He played on the football team, as his father wished, and sang in the choir to appease his mother.

Interestingly, his coach was also his conductor, and to this day, Tripoli still names Dan D’Agostino as one of the chief influences that catapulted him into his career.

With D’Agostino’s encouragement, Tripoli joined a special choir group as a junior.  With this group, Tripoli traveled across the Atlantic for the first time to a performance in Spain.

“[Singing] got me my first experience with traveling internationally,” Tripoli said.

A year later, he would return to Europe with that same group – this time to Italy.  “I knew that someday I would go back there to live,” said Tripoli.  “It opened up the world of foreign travel.”

After leaving LHS, Tripoli attended Hamilton College where he continued his studies in English and history.  He also furthered his knowledge of foreign language, expanding his range to include Portuguese and Italian as well.  He went on to attend the University of Pittsburgh, where he received his master’s degree in Finance and Business Administration.

After gaining experience in banking on the east and west coasts, Tripoli was offered a position as the special assistant to the Minister of Economic Affairs of Italy.  Tripoli accepted, partially as a means to satisfy his “tremendous curiosity to learn as much as possible.”  In Italy, he made many valuable contacts, one of which would provide him with his next job.

Tripoli was invited to advise the merchant family of Kuwait.  This family is intermarried with the royal family, and it is their job to regulate commerce within Kuwait, as well as its trade with other nations.  Beginning as the manager of European operations, Tripoli would soon oversee all of Kuwait’s worldwide operations.

With the entire world quite literally at his fingertips, Tripoli decided he’d had enough.

“ I think you reach a certain point — actually many points – where priorities change,” Tripoli said, explaining his decision to come back home.  “Besides, I wasn’t getting the same kick out of it the way I used to.”

In 2008, Tripoli relocated back to Central New York, where he took up the job as executive director of the Onondaga Historical Association.

“I’ve always had an affinity for art and culture,” he said.  “I thought it’d be great if I could contribute my business knowledge to a non-profit such as the Onondaga Historical Association.

“I believe for a community to thrive, there needs to be a strong urban core at the center of it.  I wanted to bring that back to Syracuse.”

With the Onondaga Historical Association, Tripoli helps write a quarterly newsletter that complements the current exhibits at the museum.  He also has made speeches at several schools – including the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University – about Syracuse’s legacy and its place in history.

And though he believes it is important for Central New York’s kids to stay true to their roots, Tripoli believes it’s even more important for them to follow their futures.

“We need to let them go,” he says.  “They need to get out and get experience, following the job, or what ever it is they want to achieve in.  It all boils down to perseverance and hard work.”