Mark's 26-year Navy career included 16 years of sea duty on 5 operational nuclear attack submarines and 2 years of sea duty aboard a command ship as a fleet staff officer. This included nine - 6 month overseas deployments (2 as commanding officer) with operations in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic Oceans; Mediterranean Sea; and the Caribbean. Mark served as commanding officer of USS Houston (SSN 713) home ported in San Diego. During his 3 years in command, Houston received the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship award for the most improved submarine in the Navy. Houston earned the Battle “E” as the overall most combat effective submarine in her squadron. She deployed to the western Pacific and to the Indian Ocean for two 6-month deployments focusing on submarine special operations. The ship earned a Meritorious Unit Citation and Navy Expeditionary medal.

Mark and his wife Bev purchased Sunflower, their Beneteau Oceanis 523 in 2005 after retiring from the Navy. Over the last 14 years they cruised and raced approximately 30,000 NM. They cruise primarily Maine, the Canadian Maritimes, and Newfoundland. They also did a 2 year cruise in the Great Lakes. Mark has raced Sunflower in the 2018 Newport Bermuda Race and the 2019 Marion Bermuda Race. They have extensively modified Sunflower extensively to the blue water, cold weather cruising boat she is today.

Mark is a US Sailing certified “moderator” for Safety at Sea training and is on the US Sailing National Faculty specializing in Safety at Sea. He is the program manager for the Cruising Club of America and New York Yacht Club's Safety at Sea training program.