Mark Schmidt recently retired as the Director of Finance and Operations at Crane Country Day School. Prior to his experience working as an independent school administrator, Mark was the CEO and a founder of Ledge Energy Group, a physical energy trading firm focused on trading and marketing refined products primarily in the Caribbean and Latin American markets. Before working at Ledge Energy Group, Mark has a long career in the investment business as a founder and portfolio manager of various partnerships. He has also been active as a volunteer in various service organizations particularly those focused on affordable housing and community engagement. Mark has had a long-standing interest in horticulture and sustainability, which he developed early in his career while working in various roles on farms and with forest managers in New England. His interest was further developed when he and his wife purchased an abandoned farm in Vermont and, over several years, restored the land to its original condition.