Who We Are
Our mission is to promote stewardship, growth and service through communication.
Our mission is to promote stewardship, growth and service through communication.
Mark is most sought after as an expert proposal writer and project strategist. In 2019, he was selected by his peers at AFP as the region’s Outstanding Fundraising Executive. He is the creator of the Open Communication Fundraising Model, a system that enables all nonprofit agency stakeholders to effectively work together toward organizational and fundraising goals. Mark has consistently served nonprofits as a staff member, board member or consultant since 1991.
Mark has raised more than $60 million for his clients and employers by obtaining grants for organizations of all types, sizes and locales, particularly for health, human service, community development and technology needs He is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Western NC and the Grant Professionals Association. He has served as a founding board member for a public access television station and for Carolina Public Press.
Mark regularly provides training sessions through a number of venues, including the Duke University Continuing Studies Nonprofit Management program, Alliance for Better Nonprofits, 4Good, and WNC Nonprofit Pathways.
Terri grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She spent her summers as a child at her grandparent’s home in rural Minnesota. Her mid-western roots are evident when she says "pants" or "bag." Terri received her BA in Business Management & Marketing from Michigan State University.
Terri’s career has taken her to Wisconsin, Georgia, South Carolina, and now Western North Carolina. As Director of Flow at Communication Mark, Terri stewards Marketing, Human Resources and Business Management.
On a personal note, Terri lives in an intentional community at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ask her about it - she loves to share that part of her life.
Tina began her nonprofit career over twenty-five years ago as an AmeriCorps member with City Year in Boston. Over the years, her passion for helping others led to a lifetime career as a nonprofit professional. As a staff member and consultant, she has served as a campaign manager, development director, program specialist, grant writer, and reviewer. Tina has experience working with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations focused on areas such as education, homelessness, health, youth development, and the arts.
Tina is a former board member for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Atlanta Chapter, where she served in several roles, most notably as Vice President of Diversity when she implemented the award-winning and nationally recognized Diversity Fellows Program. In addition, she was a faculty member with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits Non-Profit University, teaching grant writing classes.
Tina currently serves as the President of the Georgia Grant Professionals Association (GPA), has a degree in Business Administration, and enjoys spending time with her son and fur baby, and volunteering at the Atlanta Fox Theatre and in walkathons.
Kathy brings her passion for community, expansion, and partnership to Communication Mark. She is a former Assistant Provost and has held several teaching and administrative roles with non-profit higher education institutions where she has extensive experience in proposal writing, program implementation and project planning.
Kathy was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Barry University and conducted graduate research in biochemistry and molecular biology at Emory University School of Medicine. She graduated from Converse College with a master’s degree in Education of Natural Sciences.
Kathy currently lives in an intentional community focused on health and healing in Columbus, North Carolina. She is interested in organic gardening and bee-keeping and is a highly experienced chocolatier.
Sabina discovered her passion for communication while studying applied linguistics at The University of Alabama. During that time, she sought to collaborate with enthusiastic people on fascinating projects. Whether by working as virtual assistant to a South Africa-based photographer, conveying the tenets of elementary particle physics and the novel Higgs boson through her own abstract art, researching psychopathy in violent crime, collaborating with Eastern European artists to create a visual art exhibit abroad, or connecting a South Alabama family with the never-before translated story of their Czech- and German-speaking grandfather; effective, empathetic communication has defined Sabina’s most fulfilling work.
Sabina has also brought her writing skills to non-profit organizations, focusing on human rights and equality. Her role at Communication Mark allows her to continue that work through grant writing and project administration.
Sabina spends her days reading, painting, and taking long walks in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with her partner and golden retriever, both of whom have learned a bit of German.
Dianne’s lived experiences, both personal and professional, make it a joy for her to assemble narratives that change lives. She brings public and private sector leadership expertise to Communication Mark from more than a decade in Polk County, NC, government administration and years of organizational consulting and brand ambassadorship.
Dianne has written successful grant applications to expand rural transportation for seniors, people with disabilities, and residents with low wealth; preserved and protected cultural heritage with Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership; and supported tourism and economic development in craft and music venues. Through government assignments she was the steward of millions in federal grants. She has also provided coaching and grants management support to small businesses and nonprofits.
Dianne’s love of collaborative synergies and ability to listen and synthesize information provides a grounded approach that achieves desired outcomes. In her personal life, Dianne makes a difference through cherished expressions of unity in an intentional community in Western North Carolina.
Valerie brings a variety of experiences to her primary role of writing proposals and researching potential grant opportunities for Communication Mark’s diverse clientele. She grew up in Hawaii, received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago in Germanic Languages and Literature, and began her career in publishing with positions at Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Joint Commission. Valerie then moved into marketing communications and to the Carolinas, working for both forprofit and nonprofit organizations.
Valerie’s nonprofit experience includes volunteer service as the Lake Wylie Lakekeeper, and as a board member of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Western North Carolina Chapter. Valerie currently volunteers with Mountain True/French Broad Riverkeeper.
Alice grew up in suburban New Jersey, where she developed a bad case of wanderlust. After attending college in New Jersey and Massachusetts, she finished her Bachelors in Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico. Since that time, she has worked in a variety of jobs, from managing a quick print store to freelancing as a scenic artist.
During her travels Alice has honed her administrative skills, and has now alighted in Asheville. She still pursues painting and writing in her spare time.
Get in touch with us today to work towards your goals for growth and success.