A long-time official with the State of Illinois, Mr. Schwartz previously served as the Director of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) from 1995 to 2002, and as Associate Director of CMS from 1989 to 1995. CMS, with approximately 1,400 employees and an operating budget of nearly $3 billion, provides a wide variety of centralized services to other State and local government agencies, including procurement, data processing and data communication, personnel, property management, and administration of State employee benefit plans.

Mr. Schwartz has also served the State of Illinois as Assistant Director of Personnel, Office of Governor (1988-1989); as Executive Assistant to the Director of Revenue (1986-1988); and as Assistant to the Director of Professional Regulation (1985-1986). Prior to his service with the State he was an elementary school teacher in New Berlin, Illinois, for 10 years.

A native of Illinois, Mr. Schwartz received his B.S. degree in Education from Illinois State University (1975), and his M.A. degree in Educational Administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield (1980).