Mark was born in Minnesota but his family moved to N. CA before his first birthday. He spent his childhood playing in redwood forests. He graduated from UCD with a degree in psychology. Mark stumbled on his profession as a general contractor when he figured out that he would not be able to afford a house so he should learn how to build one himself. His political life started in college protesting the Vietnam War. When he retired and moved to Fallbrook in 2016 with his wife, Rosalie, he became involved with the Club which helped him get elected to the Fallbrook Planning Group. He has been serving as Club VP since 2022.