From Enlisted to the Hill, to SC District 3
1. Strategic Defense with Operational Depth
Four years in the U.S. Air Force working on B-1 bombers taught Mark more than electronics, it taught him systems thinking, national security priorities, and how global force projection works from the ground up. He learned how mission success depends on aligning parts, people, and purpose.
He knows what it means to work at the intersection of frontline readiness and strategic defense.
2. Supply Chain and Logistics Expertise
At Tinker Air Force Base, Mark moved from component-level work to enterprise-level logistics and depot operations. He gained a top-down understanding of how government sustains readiness: procurement, asset visibility, lifecycle management, and compliance with DoD directives and the Art of the Possible. Mark managed multi-billion-dollar programs and enterprise systems.
That’s the kind of thinking Congress desperately needs when talking about budgets, military spending, and efficiency. He didn’t inherit leadership; he earned it by optimizing broken systems and guiding teams through change.
3. Leading Teams & Restructuring Organizations
Whether in uniform or in a suit, Mark has led cross-functional teams of specialists, engineers, and analysts - reorganizing processes, aligning workflows, and unlocking performance. He’s managed technical staff, engineers, scientists, contractors, and brought clarity where confusion reigned.
Leadership isn’t about command, it’s about building trust, driving change, and getting results.
4. Data, Procurement & AI Policy at the FDA
Mark led projects at the intersection of data, policy, and innovation, bringing modern tools like AI into government workflows, managing contractors, navigating federal acquisition regulations (FAR), and compliance without bureaucracy getting in the way of progress.
He knows how to modernize agencies from the inside out.
5. Holistic Governance Experience
From Air Force logistics to FDA acquisitions, Mark’s worked across multiple federal agencies, understanding both the front lines and the systems that support them. He’s used to reading policy, writing directives, and holding vendors accountable—all skills of a great legislator.