Born and raised in a small town in eastern Nebraska, he moved to Lincoln after high school to attend the University of Nebraska. He was active in the early years of Lincoln’s Open Harvest Food Cooperative. In 2000, Mark became active with Nebraskans for Peace, the oldest surviving statewide peace and justice organization in the nation. He has been a member of the NFP board since 2002, serving as president from 2005 to 2007, and treasurer in 2008 and 2009. His interest in Whiteclay was sparked in 2003 by NFP members who had worked for several years with Frank LaMere and others to address concerns about Nebraska’s licensing of alcohol sales in Whiteclay. In early 2003 he was introduced to Mr. LaMere and made his first visit to Whiteclay. He has devoted over five years to filming and reporting on this story.