Mark was born and raised in Woodstock, Ontario and finished high school at Huron Park Secondary School in Woodstock; then graduated with a B.Sc. Agriculture from the Guelph University in 1979 and M.Sc.F Lakehead University 1984. He spent most of his working career in forestry research and education.
He and his wife Jennifer have 6 children and 11 grandchildren. He worked in construction at Sunsite Estates (Sheguiandah Developments) for a few summers during university. Soon after that his parents acquired a cottage on Lake Manitou. Mark and Jennifer now own the cottage, which is on Martin’s Bay, a part of Silver Bay. The cottage has been in the family since 1977.
His interest in becoming a LMAA director is related to his desire to pass on his cottage experiences and the lifestyle afforded by the lake to his children and grandchildren, and other young families. As well as being a part of the association who are interested in maintaining Lake Manitou, as a healthy, safe, fun place to pass the summer; with clean water, a healthy environment and where the loons continue to call. He enjoys networking with other lake residents to discuss lake related issues. Both his parents were strong LMAA supporters, so the family tradition lives on.