Mark Cushman

Mark Cushman is the V.P. of Organizational Development at Fiber Instrument Sales, Inc., the flagship of seven affiliate companies of Giotto Enterprises, Oriskany, NY. Cushman joined the company in 2006.

Prior to his current role, he held the position of FIS’ V.P. of Engineering, V.P. of Marketing, and Executive Vice Pres. at Fermer Precision, Inc. – an affiliate of Giotto Enterprises. Cushman chairs the Corporate Synergy Committee, is a member of the Corporate Board of Directors, and administrates the organization’s NYS Registered Apprenticeship Program.

In addition to his primary role leading the organization’s HR, public relations, and employee/workforce training functions, Cushman is also involved in the review of various regulatory, trade agency compliance, intellectual property and contract review matters.

Cushman launched his technical career in 1984 as a development engineer with AMP Inc., in Harrisburg, PA, returning back to the Mohawk Valley some years later, where he has continued to hold key engineering management roles with a number of local companies. He is co-inventor on various domestic and international Patents in product areas of fluid delivery.

Parallel to his full-time career ambitions, he utilized his technical experience as an Adjunct Instructor / Lecturer at Harrisburg Area Community College (Machine Design), Mohawk Valley Community College (Statistical Quality Control, Fluid Dynamics) and SUNY Utica/Rome (Engineering Graphics.)

Cushman earned an M.A. in Public Administration from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in 2005, where his studies focused on organizational development, administrative law, regulatory law and intellectual property law. He holds an Executive Education certificate in Employment Law from Cornell University. He is also a Certified Organizational Development Coach.

His undergraduate degrees include a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology (1984) and an Associate’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Mohawk Valley Community College (1981.)

Complimenting his 38+ years of private-sector industry experience, Cushman also served from 2006-2010 as Village of Ilion Mayor. Before being elected Mayor, he served as Ilion’s Village Administrator, prior to that as a twice- elected Village Trustee. As Mayor, he was President of the Herkimer County Mayors’ Association, and in 2009 was appointed Chairman of the NYS Conference of Mayors (NYCOM) Nominating Committee.

Cushman’s public-sector experience also includes policy advocating on Open Access Electric and Natural Gas deregulation issues (Albany, NY), rail transportation expansion issues (Washington, DC), and that as the author of a featured article on “Municipal Government Ethics” published by the United Nations Public Administration Network.

He is an active Advisory Board Member for the Mohawk Valley Community College Advanced Institute for Manufacturing (AIM), and the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego County BOCES School to Careers Boards. He serves as an Advisory Board Member for Junior Achievement of Central Upstate New York, and is a Parish Trustee at the Church of the Annunciation in Ilion, NY.

Cushman has regularly been a panelists or keynote speaker for numerous events, including the 2020 Mohawk Valley Center for Leadership Excellence program and the July 2020 “Re-imagine New York Commission on COVID-19 Safety in the Workplace session. In 2018, he was named Moderator for a United States Small Business Administration round-table event with then Administrator Linda McMahon.

Cushman is a native of Frankfort, NY. He and his wife, Shelley of 38 years have resided in Ilion, NY since 1987.