Governor Hochul Announces That Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder to Retire

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder will be retiring after more than seven years of service in that role. First nominated to the role in January 2019, Commissioner Schroeder has led the agency through many significant changes, most recently the overhaul of the department's outdated operating systems. He also guided the agency through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted some of the agency's most impactful customer service improvements in decades, and he played an instrumental role in the growth of the New York State Organ Donor Registry. Commissioner Schroeder's last day will be April 30.

"During my time serving in local government, I saw first-hand both the critical role the DMV plays in the lives of nearly every New Yorker and the ways in which its services badly needed modernization," Governor Hochul said. "Then, Mark Schroeder stepped in. In his seven years of service, he has transformed this agency, bringing it into the digital age and reinventing how New Yorkers interact with the essential services it provides. A proud son of Buffalo, Commissioner Schroeder has been a model of public service throughout his career, and I join millions of grateful New Yorkers in wishing him a well-earned retirement."

Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, "It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as DMV Commissioner. When I first took this role, the DMV was the butt of jokes. People would tell me they dreaded visits to our offices, how long they would take and how often they would have to come back because they didn't have the right paperwork. I made it my mission to change that. Perceptions can take a long time to turn around, but I think we have been steadily effective in changing minds."

Under Commissioner Schroeder's leadership, the DMV adopted a new vision statement-to shatter perceptions of the DMV-which has reshaped the agency's focus on customer experience and led to meaningful improvements of the department.

During the Commissioner's tenure, the DMV revamped its website, adding dozens of transactions customers can do online. In its field offices, the DMV established a robust reservation system and took additional steps to streamline visits, leading to record low customer wait times. The department streamlined its phone lines, added callback features and deployed state-of-the-art self-service options to serve customers better and faster.

Commissioner Schroeder also oversaw the department's implementation of the federal REAL ID program. Following several postponements by the federal government, the requirement that US flight passengers have a REAL ID-compliant document took effect last year. The DMV implemented a successful strategy to communicate the deadline with the Commissioner repeatedly visiting airports across New York State to spread the message.

He also took pride in creating history when the DMV began allowing nonbinary New Yorkers to choose the 'X' gender designation on their licenses for the first time ever.

"Offering identity documents that are representative of all New Yorkers is a significant milestone," he said at the time. "We are thrilled to implement this new option that we know will have a positive impact on the lives of so many of our customers."

The Commissioner also worked closely with the 51 county clerks across New York State who run local DMV offices as agents of NYS DMV. He gained a reputation for listening carefully to their concerns and being deeply responsive. He heard county clerks' need for a greater share of online DMV revenues and supported its implementation.

In addition to improving customer service, Commissioner Schroeder was a passionate advocate for getting more New Yorkers to register as organ donors. He added new ways for New Yorkers to sign up to become an organ donor through the DMV, and under his leadership, for the first time in state history, more than half of eligible New Yorkers enrolledin the registry.

In addition to his role at the DMV, the Commissioner also serves as the Chair of the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC), bringing together more than a dozen state agency partners to improve traffic safety across the state. In his seven years as Chair, GTSC administered hundreds of millions of grants statewide for critical safety programs. GTSC has also significantly expanded the reach of its public awareness campaigns and strengthened its connections to communities hardest hit by fatal crashes.

Prior to serving in these roles, Commissioner Schroeder previously served as the comptroller for the city of Buffalo from January 2012 to his appointment at the DMV. He was previously elected as a member of the New York State Assembly and the Erie County Legislature.

The Buffalo native also spent 25 years in the private sector as vice president of two large corporations. He often said that combination of private and public-sector supervisory experience helped him in overseeing the 3,200-employee agency.

Contact the Governor's Press Office