Mark spent most of his career as a bond analyst on investment teams at Vanguard, Invesco, PNC Bank and Bank of New York. Mark has a B.A. degree in Political Science and Economics and Business from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, and Masters degrees in Public Administration and in Urban Planning, both from the University of Southern California.

Mark’s love for the mountains began early in his life while traveling across the country with his family. He began backpacking and mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada mountains as a teenager, and became interested in the Cascades upon seeing pictures of North Cascades National Park after the park’s creation. Even before moving to Western Washington in 2015, Mark would travel to the PNW to hike and climb in the Cascades. He now enjoys access to all three national parks in Washington.

Since retiring, Mark and his wife, Judy, have embarked on long-distance treks, but always look forward to seeing the Cascades and Olympics as they return home.