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Facility Voices

Building Success: Navigating the Pathways to Excellence in Public School Facilities Management

25: 43 minFEBRUARY 02, 2024 DAVID TRASK, NATIONAL DIRECTOR, ARC FACILITIES

In this episode of Facility Voices, David welcomes Diana Ferrer-Schwartz, Chief Administrative Officer at the New York City Department of Education Division of School Facilities. Diana, with her extensive background in facilities management and administration across the education sector, brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the discussion as she explores the challenges and initiatives shaping the facilities landscape in one of the world's largest school systems.

From juggling a whopping 1400 school buildings to dealing with labor shortages and sustainability, Diana shares what it takes to run educational facilities smoothly. Learn how NYC Public Schools are leading the charge in education with cool apprenticeship programs, career paths, and eco-friendly initiatives.

Gain behind-the-scenes insights into how education facilities management is evolving in today's fast-paced world from one of the industry’s best. Whether you're a seasoned FM pro, an up-and-coming leader, or just curious about what goes on in schools, this episode has loads of juicy info to satisfy your curiosity.

 

As the Chief Administrative Officer for the Division of School Facilities, Mrs. Ferrer-Schwartz reports directly to the CEO, John Shea. She oversees a varied portfolio and is responsible for the planning, structure, efficiency, and expertise in directing all agency administrative functions as well as cross-functional project work across all departments with a focus on human capital, contract administration, finance and labor relations work streams. This includes a policy role in creating or adjusting oriented strategies in managing human capital, employee relations, and contract management. Develops and improves internal systems and processes efficiencies, ensuring that all internal organizational policies and procedures are aligned with diversity and inclusion while also building and leveraging relationships with various external stakeholders.

Diana is familiar with the DOE in that she has held positions of increasing responsibilities, including Office of Equal Opportunity Senior Investigator, Senior Impartial Hearing Litigator for the Impartial Hearing-Special Education Office, Deputy Director in the Office of School Health, Interim Director of Policy and Compliance in the Office of School Health, and Director of Permits and Compliance, DSF. Before working at DSF, Diana worked at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.  Diana is a graduate of Pace University and is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

Diana Ferrer-Schwartz

Diana Ferrer-Schwartz

Chief Administrative Officer

New York City Department of Education, Division of School Facilities

As Chief Administrative Officer for the Division of School Facilities, Mrs. Ferrer-Schwartz oversees administrative functions and cross-functional projects, focusing on human capital, contract administration, finance, and labor relations. Diana has held various roles within the DOE, including Senior Investigator, Senior Litigator, Deputy Director, Interim Director, and Director of Permits and Compliance. Previously, she worked at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Diana graduated from Pace University and is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.

Thanks for listening. Follow David Trask on LinkedIn to share feedback. Visit the ARC Facilities LinkedIn page.

 

The views and opinions expressed by third-party guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ARC Facilities and ARC Document Solutions. We provide a platform for diverse perspectives and discussions and ARC Facilities/ARC Document Solutions assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content provided by our third-party guests.

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