Mark was on the Issaquah City Council from 2009 to 2013. Mark has been representing the Issaquah community in the State Senate since 2012.
 

Mark’s grounded by the lessons he learned growing up in a middle-class family in Tukwila – that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can be successful. Mark knows firsthand what it's like to struggle to make ends meet. His dad was a contractor and mom worked as the office manager for his local elementary school. 

 

Mark made a conscious choice to raise his family in Issaquah because of its amazing natural beauty and the excellent public schools.   Mark's wife Kelley has taught in the Issaquah School District for the past 25 years, and all six of their children have graduated from or are attending Issaquah High School.   Mark plans to use his experience as a local small business owner (Owner of Ben & Jerry's Issaquah and the Sunset Beach Cafe at Lake Sammamish State Park) to make Issaquah the best city in Washington for starting a small business.