Dr. Mark Schwarz is a broadly experienced chief executive and educator who specializes in organizational turnaround. With over twenty years of experience in the public school sector, Dr. Schwarz has established a record of reversing negative trends and mobilizing communities around comprehensive improvement. Under his leadership, his schools and districts have been haled by various rankings and ratings agencies for their positive trajectory, including recognition by the NJ Department of Education for “substantially closing the achievement gap” and the coveted Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Education Department. Dr. Schwarz has benefited greatly from mentorship by some of the most accomplished leaders in public education and has established a robust professional network that extends nationally and across industries. Leveraging the collective intelligence of this network, he has pioneered a new model for school leadership that is built on the innovative use of emerging technology to engage stakeholders and to mobilize human capacity at scale. Dr. Schwarz's core strategies include the implementation of KPIs, predictive analytics, robust data visualization, project management systems, and public engagement tools.

Currently serving as the Superintendent of Ridgewood Public Schools, one of the largest and highest-achieving school districts in New Jersey, Mark offers a strong professional reputation. He presents annually on various topics, including school rankings and ratings systems, organizational climate and culture, and how to measure success in schools. Mark also serves on legislative committees for the Garden State Coalition of Schools and the New Jersey Association of School Administrators. He and his wife, award-winning educator Sharon Schwarz, reside in the Lake Mohawk community of Sparta, NJ, with their two teenage sons. They enjoy various activities as a family, including outdoor adventures, city excursions, martial arts, and music performance.