As the President/CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (A.F.C.), Mark Ishaug has helped establish A.F.C. as the Midwest's largest HIV/AIDS service organization and Illinois' leading advocate for people with AIDS and the agencies that serve them.

Mark joined A.F.C. in 1991 as a policy analyst and worked as policy director and associate director before being appointed chief executive officer in August 1998. Under his leadership, the scope and reach of A.F.C. has greatly expanded, and its grantmaking, policy, prevention, and service coordination programs serve more people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS than at any other time in A.F.C.'s history.

Prior to joining A.F.C., Mark studied and taught international economics at the University of Zimbabwe in 1987 as a Rotary Foundation Scholar, and in 1989, was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Scholarship from Northwestern University for research on Mozambique. His work in Africa led him in 1990 to CARE International-Mozambique, where he monitored emergency relief efforts as the Assistant Director of the Emergency Relief Program. Mark has also worked in the program department of New York's Africa-America Institute, the nation's premier non-governmental organization committed to improving relations between the United States and Africa.

Actively involved in local politics, Mark served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1996 and currently works on several campaigns for progressive candidates. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his leadership on H.I.V. issues, including the Hearts Foundation's "Biggest Heart" award in 2004, the South Side Help Center's "Leadership Award" in 2002, and AIDS Legal Council's "Advocate of the Year" award in 1996.

Mark received an M.A. in political science from Northwestern University and a B.A. in government and international studies from the University of Notre Dame.

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