Mark Cruz is a trusted policy advisor, advocate and strategist with deep knowledge of state and federal government and politics. Mark has served in senior leadership positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Department of the Interior and in the Oregon legislature. Well-liked and respected on both sides of the political aisle, Mark knows his way around both Capitol Hill and the Oregon Capitol. From natural resources to energy, economic development, and Indian affairs, Mark understands how to build a coalition and advance policies with lawmakers and staff.
Prior to Gallatin, Mark served on the staff of two members of Congress, including Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the current chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Later, he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. When he returned home to Oregon, he served as Chief of Staff for nearly three years to the Minority Leader in the Oregon House of Representatives.
As a 35th generation Oregonian, Mark was 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. When he’s not reading, Mark enjoys golf, fishing, concerts and an occasional cigar.
Mark Cruz is a trusted policy advisor, advocate and strategist with deep knowledge of state and federal government and politics. Mark has served in senior leadership positions in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Department of the Interior and in the Oregon legislature. Well-liked and respected on both sides of the political aisle, Mark knows his way around both Capitol Hill and the Oregon Capitol. From natural resources to energy, economic development, and Indian affairs, Mark understands how to build a coalition and advance policies with lawmakers and staff.
Prior to Gallatin, Mark served on the staff of two members of Congress, including Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the current chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Later, he served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. When he returned home to Oregon, he served as Chief of Staff for nearly three years to the Minority Leader in the Oregon House of Representatives.
As a 35th generation Oregonian, Mark was 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. When he’s not reading, Mark enjoys golf, fishing, concerts and an occasional cigar.