After completing his Peace Corps service in Kazakhstan, Mark joined IREX in 2002. Over the years, he has held various roles, including multiple Chief of Party positions with USAID and management roles for USDOS-funded projects. His work has taken him abroad for 12 years, residing in Kazakhstan and Georgia, and directing projects in 11 countries across the Eurasia region and two in the Middle East.  

Mark has provided strategic guidance and management for several programs that leverage technology for development, improve access to information, and reform education practices. He specializes in achieving outcomes in restrictive environments where authoritarian governments limit societal freedoms. His technical expertise includes developing community networks, spearheading training initiatives, and leading education-linked capacity-building projects. 

Returning to IREX in 2019 in a headquarters role, Mark draws on his extensive field experience to empathize with the challenges faced by field-based program managers and directors globally. He enjoys collaborating with colleagues to establish a vision and implement innovative solutions to complex challenges, striving for new levels of excellence. He also ensures that projects balance grantor interests and compliance, DC communications and reporting, and the professional growth of the teams involved. 

Mark holds undergraduate degrees in International Business and Marketing from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a graduate degree in Public Affairs with a certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Minnesota.