Mark worked for the U. S. Forest Service for 13 years on National Forests throughout Mississippi, where he practiced a holistic approach to combining wildlife, fire, recreation, and timber production into overall land management. In addition, Mark spent eight years employed by the City of Hattiesburg, MS, to direct the Urban Forestry Program and work with builders and developers by integrating smart land development with urban natural resources. From 1998 to present, Mark has been a private client forestry consultant, managing timberlands for individuals, family estates, and institutions.
Mark’s formal educational background includes receiving a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management, Mississippi State University in 1986, and an Associate’s degree from Pearl River Community College in 1982. Mark graduated from Forrest County Agricultural High School, and while working with the U.S. Forest Service, he completed the Program of Advanced Studies of Silviculture, at Clemson University, West Virginia University, and Syracuse-University of New York. Other qualifications and relevant membership include being a member of the Mississippi Forestry Association, Forrest-Lamar County Forestry Association, member of the Mississippi State University Forestry Advisory Board, USM Lake Thoreau Education Center Advisory Board, and Piney Woods Chapter of the Land Trust for the MS Coastal Plain. Mark is a MS Registered Forester, and a Mississippi licensed Real Estate broker.
