Christopher R. Markham

Christopher R. Markham brings over 25 years of executive leadership experience spanning higher education, research networks, government, and the private sector. Serving as Interim President and CEO of Edge, he provides comprehensive leadership across operational strategy, financial stewardship, digital transformation, and infrastructure modernization. His career reflects a consistent record of aligning technology innovation with institutional research priorities and economic development.

Joining Edge in 2018, and previously serving as Executive Vice President, Markham has played a central role in guiding the organization’s transformation into one of the largest and most respected research and education networks in the Northeast. Working in close collaboration with Edge’s leadership team, he has helped advance the expansion of multi-state GigaPOP connectivity anchored at Princeton University and Rutgers University, with critical hubs in Philadelphia and Manhattan. These initiatives have enabled high-performance research networking for R1 universities, medical centers, and federal research partners, while elevating Edge’s national profile as a trusted leader in the digital infrastructure space.

Markham has been actively engaged in academically rigorous, peer-reviewed research dissemination since 2013, with a focus on economic policy, technology, and institutional transformation. His doctoral dissertation, Artificial Intelligence, the Productivity J-Curve, and the Timing of Public Policy Responses, reflects his deep engagement in analyzing the intersection of artificial intelligence, labor markets, and public economic policy. He has also served as an adjunct professor of economics, teaching at institutions ranging from community colleges to research universities.

From 2000 to 2021, Markham served in both the U.S. Army Active Duty and Reserve components. He progressed from an enlisted technology engineer to a commissioned officer in a military intelligence unit and battalion signal corps, ultimately leading multi-state operations, fiscal planning, logistics, and organizational readiness. This two-decade career instilled a mission-first ethic, resilience, and collaborative leadership style that continue to guide his executive approach today.