Mr. Schwartz has significant experience with State and Federal programs dealing with radiation safety issues. He joined the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1972 and has held positions of increasing responsibility at the AEC and its successor the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). After the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979, he was detailed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop a Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program. He returned to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1981 and continued his career at NRC in other positions involving regulation of nuclear material and reactors and in 1989 was appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Governmental and Public Affairs. He retired from government service in February 1994.

     Mr. Schwartz was the principal agency spokesperson for a number of critical programs at NRC including the development of a new Agreement State Compatibility Policy, upgrading reactor onsite and offsite emergency preparedness plans, creation of the State Liaison Officer Program, and development of the Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program.

     Mr. Schwartz has also been involved in the international community regarding radiological health and safety issues. He represented the NRC at the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Executive Committee and participated in Expert Groups and Advisory Committees for the International Atomic Energy Agency. After the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, he negotiated Treaties on Notification of a Nuclear Emergency and Mutual Emergency Assistance as a member of a US Delegation.

     Mr. Schwartz has made professional presentations to the American Medical Association, the Health Physics Society, and other domestic and international professional societies and public and private organizations. He has also chaired public workshops and meetings on issues ranging from nuclear power plant license renewal, agreement state compatibility and risk assessment.

     Mr. Schwartz has received awards and recognition for his work including the NRC Meritorious Service Award and the NRC Civil Rights Award. He has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University) and has judged their senior engineering projects as well as Montgomery County and Pinellas County School science fairs.

     Prior to joining the Atomic Energy Commission in 1972 Mr. Schwartz was a design engineer for Aerojet-General Corporation in Sacramento, California and the senior consultant to the California Legislatures’ Joint Committee on Atomic Development and Space.

     Mr. Schwartz is an experienced and innovative professional who made a successful transition from a downsized aerospace industry to the nuclear field. Since his retirement in February 1994 Mr. Schwartz has provided consulting services to public and private organizations and written articles on radiation matters. He has been a Sales Associate at Sears, Scotty’s, Florida Hardware, Advance Auto Parts and Ace Hardware. He also was a volunteer teacher at Academy Prep and a substitute teacher for Pinellas County Schools. He also volunteered to assist with the training of new substitute teachers. Mr. Schwartz spent seven years, as a member, Vice Chair and Chairman of the St. Petersburg Code Enforcement Board and was appointed in January 2005, by Mayor Baker with consent of the City Council, to a 3-year term in the newly created position of Special Magistrate for Code Enforcement.

     Mr. Schwartz is a graduate of the 2001 Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) Leadership Training Program and; was involved in developing the traffic plan and neighborhood plan for Pinellas Point; was the Program Chair during the planning phase for the Pinellas Living Green Expo; and, a member of the CONA Codes Task Force. He is a volunteer with the Senior Medicare Medicaid Patrol Project, the St Petersburg Homeless Task Force Shelter Strategy Workgroup and the Vice Chair of the Area 5 Florida Silver Haired Legislature. He is also an active member of Civitan International.  Mr. Schwartz was inducted into the St. Petersburg Senior Hall of Fame on May 17th, 2006.

     Mr. Schwartz and his wife Maryrose celebrated their 45 wedding anniversary in December 2005 and have two children, Mark who lives in West Virginia and Eileen who lives in Maryland.