United States
Mark leads efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance sustainability. He was honored to be nominated by the Obama Administration for the White House Champions of Change Award.
Maryland has reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and grown its economy faster than any other state, and it now has the most ambitious GHG reduction goals in the nation. MDE's Climate Change Program is responsible for developing and implementing the State’s GHG reduction plan, conducting the State’s GHG Inventory, staffing the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, and supporting policy and regulatory development to accelerate Maryland’s national leadership on climate change.
The Mitigation Work Group proposes regulatory, market-based and voluntary programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while supporting economic development and job creation in Maryland.
I led the development and implementation of policies and programs to reduce the university’s carbon emissions to net-zero by 2025 with achievements including: carbon neutral new buildings and major renovations, 100% renewable purchased electricity, and carbon neutral air travel. I also allocated $3.2 million to 156 innovative sustainability projects through a grant program that I ran and led a faculty development program that trained 200 faculty members to integrate sustainability across the curriculum.