Mark Cruz
Senior Public Affairs Strategist
Mark Cruz is a trusted advisor and battle-tested policy and political strategist.
For more than a decade, members of Congress, state lawmakers and tribal nations have turned to Mark for sound advice and to help them achieve their goals. Respected on both sides of the aisle, Mark knows how to craft and execute the legislative, communications and coalition-building strategies required to turn ideas into reality.
Mark worked on Capitol Hill for two members of Congress and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Mark then returned home to Oregon and served nearly three years as Chief of Staff to the Republican Caucus in the Oregon House of Representatives. Mark has a unique understanding of both federal and state lawmaking, appropriations, and regulatory affairs.
Mark is a 35th generation Oregonian, born in Salem and raised in Klamath County. He is an enrolled member of the Klamath Tribes and serves as a board member of the Klamath Tribes Economic Development Corporation. Prior to serving in government, Mark taught high school language arts at a Bureau of Indian Education school in South Dakota. Mark earned his bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and master’s degree from Brown University.
A resident of Salem, Mark is an avid reader, enjoys golf, fishing, music concerts and an occasional cigar.
Expertise
- Federal and state government
- Budget and appropriations
- Tribal government and Indian affairs
- Environmental, economic development and education policy
- Strategic communications
Background
- A decade in tribal, federal, and state politics
- Top staff positions on Capitol Hill and the Oregon Capitol
- Board Member, Klamath Tribes Economic Development Corporation
- Born and raised in Oregon
“Oregon holds timeless values; fierce independence, individual freedom and caring for its diverse families, communities and environment. These values guide the state’s public affairs policy and investment agenda. Growing up here and possessing this innate understanding, I guide and align clients with key decision-makers for successful outcomes that build on these values and continue “the Oregon way.”
