begins in my days of youth, where sharing my written thoughts through poetry and a high school newspaper gave me the encouragement to follow that vision. Since those days, I've authored and published two books, As I Look (2000) and The Poetic Repercussion (Dec. 2004), and I'm currently working on my third and most adventurous artistic project scheduled to be released in 2010 (for more information visit Future Projects).

My poetry has taken me to intimate venues and conference halls at educational institutions, major civic engagements, literary and and spoken word cafes, and on major electronic news, radio, and print media outlets around the United States.

My second book was nominated for 2005 Georgia Author of the Year-Poetry and appeared on the National Best Sellers List for Contemporary Poetry in 2006. Of my many opportunities, I've written works for the Children's Miracle Network, National Business and Professional Women, Georgia Holocaust Commission, Women Against Domestic Violence, a tribute piece for Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, and a collaboration piece with the Georgia Ballet in 2006.

At the same time, I've used my voice as a literary artist to work with literacy and poetry programs, such as National Education Association's Read Across America Day, Inner Harbour in Georgia, Kids To Kids in Nevada, Goodwill Industries, Books for Soldiers. Please visit the Poems section to read samples of my work, I hope you enjoy and support my current and future efforts to share my passion,

Mark Anthony Thomas joined City Futures, Inc. as the Deputy Director in June 2008 and oversees administration, development, publishing and marketing for both the New York urban affairs new source City Limits Magazine and the New York policy think tank Center for an Urban Future.

Before joining City Futures, he served as the public relations officer for a global health collaboration between Columbia University (NYC) and Ben-Gurion University (Beer-Sheva, Israel).

Before coming to New York City in 2006, he worked for five years as a community affairs rep for Georgia-Pacific Corporation in Atlanta, managed the company's Partners for Education programs at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School, and helped the corporation launch its corporate social responsibility report.

Through Georgia-Pacific, he served on committees and boards for the Central Atlanta Progress, The MLK Center for Non-Violence, the Atlanta Community Foundation, and served as an aide to executive committees renaming Atlanta's International Airport and launching multiple public-private civic inititiaves in the city of Atlanta. He also served as the Community Relations Manager for the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists.

He was recognized by the Southeastern Council on Foundations with the 2003 Hull Fellowship Award and served as the Program Planning Chair for the Southern Regional Council's 50th Anniversary Celebration of Brown V. Board of Education in 2004. In 2004, he served as a "Principal For a Day" through the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and has served on boards of directors for the University of Georgia Alumni Association, UGA Student Leadership Center, Center for African American Male Research Success, & Leadership at West Georgia University, and as the Public Relations Chairman for the 2003 National Conference on Black Philanthropy. In 2003, he launched and continues to host the Red Tie Soiree, one of Atlanta's largest annual holiday celebrations, and expanded the event to New York City in 2008.

In 2005, he was selected for Leadership Atlanta's 2006 LEAD Class and was featured in Who's Who in Black Atlanta. Since 2004, he has served as the President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Helping Teens Succeed, Inc., which is funded by the Lumina Foundation, and the Federal Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). In 2006, Mark was recognized by Essence Magazine at the 2006 Essence Festival in Houston, TX, as one of their original 50 Do-Right Men of the Year.

Mark will graduate with an Executive Masters of Public Policy and Affairs from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in May 2009.

In 2001, he graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.B.A in Marketing, where he became the first African-American Editor-In-Chief for The Red & Black, the daily student-run newspaper and spent four years as a reporter on the staff. While Editor, the paper was honored for journalistic excellence by the Southeast Journalism Conference. He served as the Student Chairman for the University's 40th Anniversary of Desegregation Commemoration and was initiated in to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in 1998.

Within his fraternity, he has served in local, state, regional appointed positions, and was a vice chairman for the 2000 national convention in Atlanta. He is the founding editor of AlphaSouth.org. His fraternity honored him as the State of Georgia College Brother of the Year in 1999 and 2000. The fraternity's Southeastern U.S. Region (AlphaSouth) awarded him in 2000 with the Frank H. Gilbert Service Award and in 2001 he was the region's College Brother of the Year.

Mark's collegiate, journalism, and professional works have been featured in national magazines such as Time Magazine, NPR, Christian Moniter Science, and regional magazines like Jazebel, Booking Matters, and in AUC Magazine's “Top 30 Atlantans Under 30." In 2000, he was interviewed by NBC Atlanta 11-Alive as a "Future Leader of Tomorrow."

He turned 29 in August 2008.