Mark Biedron ‘74, former member and chair of the board of advisors for ̽̽ (̽̽) Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and former president of the New Jersey State Board of Education, died on November 6, 2020 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.
Biedron served on the Rubenstein School’s Board of Advisors beginning in 2003 and was chair of the board from 2010 to 2015. He played an instrumental role in supporting the green renovation of the Aiken Center and the School’s 2012 strategic planning work.
“Mark’s gracious welcome to me, when I first assumed the deanship of the Rubenstein School in 2014, inspired a close working partnership with him and strong communications with our Board,” said Dean Nancy Mathews. “Mark advised four deans during his tenure on the board, and he will be greatly missed.”
In 2011, Biedron was appointed to the New Jersey State Board of Education and served as president from 2014 to 2017 when he was appointed by New Jersey Governor Murphy as co-chair of the Governor’s Education, Access and Opportunity Transition Committee. Since 2015, he also served as the co-chair of the New Jersey Juvenile Justice School/Justice Partnership Task Force.
Biedron was a trustee of the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for New Jersey and a volunteer for Junior Achievement of New Jersey. Earlier this year, he received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Arts Education in New Jersey.
In 2000, Biedron, a U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified professional, founded the Willow School, a private pre-K-8 school in Gladstone, New Jersey, which focuses on student character development and is well-known for its achievements in environmental sustainability. Biedron was instrumental in bringing Rubenstein School students, faculty, and staff to the Willow School to share their environmental passion and expertise with teachers and students in outdoor learning activities. The school’s green facility and commitment to sustainability served as impetus and model during the planning for the green renovation of the Rubenstein School’s Aiken Center at ̽̽.
Biedron earned a B.A. in business administration from ̽̽ and attended graduate school at the University of Colorado where he studied business administration. He began his business career in 1975, when he joined the family business, Con-Lux Coatings, Inc., a manufacturer of low VOC (volatile compound) paints and coatings. After the company was sold to Sherwin Williams in 1995, Biedron founded Solid Wood Construction, LLC, a general contracting company, specializing in green construction and historic renovation, and Sustainable Growth Technologies, a green building and design consulting company.
Donations in Mark Biedron’s memory may be made to ; Stein Hospice at 354 Demott Ln, Somerset NJ 08873; and the ALS Association Greater New York Chapter at 42 Broadway, Suite 1724 New York, NY 10004.
Adapted from the New Jersey School Boards Association: .”