Dr. Mark Pietrowski Jr.

Class of 2001

Pietrowski has lived in DeKalb County since he was five years old and was educated through the Sycamore School District. While at Sycamore High School Pietrowski was involved in the student newspaper and played basketball. He first attended Kishwaukee College where he was a senator in the student government and organized two forums with experts once before the start of the war in Iraq and once after it started. After earning his associate degree, Pietrowski transferred to Northern Illinois University where he would earn a B.A. and M.A. in Communication and an Ed.D. in Community College Leadership. In his undergraduate, he worked for the Northern Star student newspaper, was selected for the Outstanding Major award, and belonged as a member of the NIU Public Relations Student Society of America. During his master’s degree, he was selected as the winner of the Martha D. Cooper Teaching Assistant Peer Leadership Award and served as President of the Graduate Student Communication Committee. In 2018, Pietrowski was one of forty individuals selected for the University of Illinois system leadership program, Edgar Fellow, led by former Governor Jim Edgar.

In the community, Pietrowski was first elected in 2009 as a member of the Kishwaukee College Board of Trustees. In 2012, Pietrowski stepped down from the board of trustees as he was elected to serve on the DeKalb County Board to represent District 3. He would also be asked to serve as a delegate for President Barack Obama at the 2012 National Democratic Convention and won his election to serve as a delegate for the 14th Congressional District in Illinois. In 2014, Pietrowski was selected by the 24 member DeKalb County Board to serve as DeKalb County Board Chairman and President of the DeKalb County Forest Preserve. He would serve in that role for six years and for each of his three terms he was selected unanimously to serve as Charman. As Chairman his accomplishments included helping Fairdale recover from a Tornado and rebuild, built a new Jail, relocated residents in a floodplain and converted it to the Sycamore Forest Preserve and pushed for and secured the first ever Enterprise Zone distinction for DeKalb County. He also had the distinction of passing unanimous balanced budgets each year he served as Chair. In 2021, Pietrowski was elected as the Mayor of Cortland.

Other community service included being a board member for Joseph Glidden Homestead and Historical Center, DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Member, DeKalb Kiwanis Board member and former President, and Egyptian Theatre Board member and Vice-President. Pietrowski currently is a DeKalb County Farm Bureau member, and Cortland Lions Club member.
Pietrowski now serves as the Director and Advising Dean for the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. He is an LGBTQA Ally, Undocumented Student Community Ally, Mentor, CODE facilitator and ally, member of the NIU Annuitants Association, Operating Staff Council, and University Council. He was awarded the Supportive Professional Staff Presidential Award for Excellence in 2017.

Pietrowski loves public education and seeing what students can accomplish in life. He has a passion for leadership, community service, comedy, politics, and government. Pietrowski currently resides in Cortland, IL with his wife and two dogs and assists with their business Belle & Herbie’s.