Mark is a wizard with spreadsheets. If you are looking for ways to gather information and data in the MOST efficient way, Mark is your guy. I came to Mark curious if there was a way I could use Google Sheets to track student sign up for Outdoor Ed, t-shirt sizes, cabin assignments, along with several other categories. Mark was able to set up a sheet (with formulas) that collected everything, and made it so easy to read and edit. We have used this sheet for the last 4 years, and it has made my life so much easier. But, what makes Mark great at his job is that he takes the time to explain what he’s doing, and if you’re willing, he’s happy to teach you. His attention to detail and his willingness to learn exactly what you are looking for is what separates Mark from anyone else who works in this arena.

I have utilized Mark's spreadsheet expertise multiple times as a teacher and as a literacy coach. He is a great listener and tailors the project to my objectives. I also like how he interjects his own ideas on how to improve my project because I didn't even know that a spreadsheet could do that! He has saved me so much time collating data and copying forms/behavior charts. Instead, we saved trees and allowed for collaboration with students in a more stealth way. In addition, some of the projects have allowed me to sort, grade, and see patterns that previously would have been so daunting and have taken hours to notice trends. Mark is polite, responsive, and hard-working -- a gem to any organization!

Working with Mark Frye has been an eye-opening lesson into the Excel world. He can take my ideas of how I'd like something to work, and actually make them work. Our new spreadsheets are fun to work with, now that I understand the "behind the scenes," and our work has become very organized and specific. The spreadsheets he's helped us create have saved us days of work, and makes our work more accurate. Mark has removed the fear of Excel and formulas, and this is coming from a former English major.

I recommend Mark without any reservations. I encounter data-related challenges several times a year, and Mark has always solved them for me. For instance, I needed to consolidate student-specific data for 200+ students from several spreadsheets and then analyze the information to guide class placement decisions. I contacted Mark, explained my needs, and shared the various spreadsheets. Within the day, he not only provided what I thought I needed, but also enhanced the final product. Mark's work allowed me to be far more efficient and effective.

Mark is really adept with organizing data, and as a librarian, having information presented in a well-organized way is really important to me! Each time I have worked with him, he has taken careful stock of the needs I have for my data, and helped me work through how to get a spreadsheet to collect and organize scads of raw data in the way that I want it. This makes me more efficient, and tells a clear information story for my stakeholders when I share that data with them.

Mark has helped me with tech in several of my professional and personal roles. He has helped me refine digital assessments for the classroom, create forms and spreadsheets to organize fundraising data for Student Council, and manage information and financials for my two Girl Scout Troops! I could not do what I do without him!

Mark did an amazing job helping me to create a spreadsheet that compiled each of my gymnast's data after every meet. As a coach, I was able to easily look at the scores by gymnast or event. He showed me how to use some of the formulas so I would be able to make my own columns and get data such as season high and average. He listened to what I was needing and checked in with me when he was done. If there was an issue with how I was using the spreadsheet, Mark was able to look through the data and correct it. It was great working with Mark as he also made me feel more comfortable working in sheets.

Mark is an incredible, supportive and collaborative colleague, and this is particularly true when it comes to designing custom spreadsheets. When the NBJH social work team put on the March Wellness Coping Strategies Tournament for the first time, Mark brought our event to life with his custom spreadsheets. I emailed Mark about the event idea, and he immediately responded with an idea and spreadsheet design within the hour! He continuously checked in with our team by making sure all aspects of the event were being shown in the spreadsheet, created a way to track the top 3 winning teams in real time, and helped create the daily google voting form that was sent to all students and staff. All students and staff had access to the spreadsheet, and they were able to track the top performing teams each day of the tournament. Without Mark's knowledge and creativity, I'm not sure how we would have successfully executed this event... or gotten the data for it! He saved us tons of time and thinking, and we so appreciate his help and support!

I am a school nurse, and just submitted my dental data to ISBE via IWAS yesterday. Because of Mark Frye, this was much easier than it would otherwise have been. Last year, Illinois started requiring school nurses to separate their dental data (regarding sealants, caries, untreated caries, etc) by demographic category (ethnicity, gender). This was a nightmare to collect, sort, and report on. We asked Mark if he could build a spreadsheet, and he not only helped us, but surprised us again and again with functions that did a lot of the work for us. His help was always exactly what we needed, and his creative problem solving has saved us hours and days of frustration. The solutions he built mean that instead of counting by hand, and going back multiple times to make changes and revise when new exams are turned in, we simply enter a few words or select from drop down menus, and the data we need is delivered to us neatly. I strongly recommend that districts and health offices (and any other organizations) consult with him regarding how he can help you solve any data-based or information challenges you may be facing. Mark is brilliant, great at analyzing what functions/possibilities might best serve you, and incredible at building spreadsheets that can do much of the laborious/tedious work for you. He has also built spreadsheets that could automatically generate email reminders for us to parents. This has saved our nurses so much time during COVID-19, and his services are irreplaceable.