Candidate for
Council Member; City of Laguna Niguel

John Mark has lived in Laguna Niguel since 1998, and has been active in community efforts, including Mission Lutheran Church, where he has served on the church council for four years, currently serving as Vice President. He led the church's efforts to raise more than $1.3 million for the Missions Within Reach program, to serve community needs both locally and abroad.

As an attorney, John Mark has served a wide range of businesses and individuals. He is a partner at the Irvine-based firm Shulman, Hodges & Bastian LLP, which he joined thirteen years ago. John Mark is a board member of the Federal Bar Association in Orange County and has served as the Editor in Chief of its newsletter, which won several national honors during his tenure.

John Mark has represented thriving businesses and entrepreneurs as well as individuals and families faced with losing everything they own and companies in jeopardy of shutting down. His primary practice is civil litigation. He has stated, "I attempt to get past the acrimony, find common ground and do what is necessary to resolve the issue. Although difficult, there is always a higher road to be taken. My experiences in various courts have been extremely positive, and I take seriously my professional obligations to both the courts and my clients."

John Mark's two children -- thirteen-year-old Grant and ten-year-old Brooke -- are students in local public schools. He has been deeply involved in their activities as a coach for soccer, baseball, and softball and as their Y-Guides and Princesses Chief.

As a young man, John Mark grew up in Denison, Texas, where his parents still live. During his childhood, Mr. and Mrs. Jennings set an example for public service. His father is a retired school principal and teacher, while his mother retired after 25 years in community banking as a comptroller and auditor. They both served as volunteers and leaders in civic, charitable, church and school organizations. The couple celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary last November and asked John Mark to officiate as they renewed their vows in Laguna Niguel. His siblings, David, an executive with American Airlines, and Joy, a marketing manager, both live in Dallas, Texas.

During high school, John Mark was invited to participate in the American Legion Boys State in Austin, Texas, where he was instantly drawn to public service as a vocation. After graduating from Denison High School, he attended Baylor University, and graduated in 1988 with a business degree. He had funded most of his educational costs through scholarships, grants, loans, off-campus work and four years of on-campus work at Baylor's Office of External Affairs, aiding in university fund-raising efforts. In addition to leadership roles in Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, John Mark also was selected to be a university recruiter and traveled throughout the region speaking to high school students.

During the summer of 1988, he was selected for an internship through Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. where he worked with the Department of Treasury in the office of then Secretary of the Treasury James Baker, as well as for the Comptroller of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. With this brief yet fulfilling introduction to public service, John Mark moved to Washington after graduation and returned to work in the office of then Secretary of the Treasury Nicholas Brady.

Ultimately, he was appointed as a trial clerk for the United States Tax Court, which involved traveling with the various judges to administer trial calendars in all parts of the country. For more than five years, John Mark participated in thousands of hours of trials, motions practice and oral arguments. In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles to attend law school, and then moved to Orange County upon graduation to begin his career.

John Mark Jennings seeks to continue his practice of public service as a city council member for Laguna Niguel, working to maintain and improve fiscal responsibility and excellence in community services. In the upcoming election, he asks for your support.