Born in Buffalo in 1952, Mark grew up in north Buffalo and graduated from Kenmore East Senior High School in 1970. After graduating from Boston University with a BA in Political Science, he moved to Washington, D.C. and received his JD from George Washington University in 1978. After practicing tax law in Connecticut for three years, Mark returned to Buffalo in 1981 to head the tax department for the law firm of Saperston & Day. He became a partner in 1984.

In his last two years at Saperston & Day, Mark represented the merger and acquisition arm of Goldome Bank, and left the firm to join this Strategic Investments Group in 1985. From that point until he left the Strategic Investments in 1992, Mark led or participated in more than sixty leveraged buyouts and corporate acquisitions.

Mark spent four years as a screenwriter in the early-mid 1990's, followed by a short stint as Vice Chairman of a local manufacturer. When Myles Fox retired in 1996, Mark, who had become a Temple Beth Zion member in 1994, became the Executive Director.

Mark is the author of numerous articles on tax law and wine.  He and his wife, the psychotherapist Nicole Urdang, live in Buffalo.  Their children Maddy and Max are both attending college.