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What defines Mark?

1. Father of three... The most rewarding and most challenging experience ever given to me

2. Husband of one... We all marry with the expectation of remaining with our spouse for a lifetime. I did the same.

3. Christian... I try to live my life in a manner that reflects Christian values and bring glory to GOD

4. Good neighbor... I have given tools to neighbors and then later have to borrow them back

5. Investor in people… “… It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35, NIV)… If I can support you in achieving your dream, I will try. Beyond tithing, over the past 15 years, I have been blessed to be in a position to give over $60,000 to students and organizations (over $32K in scholarships to Sampson County students and over $28K to charities and nonprofits) because I believe in helping others achieve their goals

6. Health conscious… Being healthy is work, expensive, and beneficial for all (the person, the family, the community, the state)

7. “Good morning Mr. Mark!”… For over 15 years, I was honored to be a Children Sunday School Leader at Vertical Church CT (formerly Living Word Ministries, New Haven, CT)

8. Eight of ten… I was the eighth child born to Charles (Winfield and Marie Robinson) and Minnie (Lester and Bessie Hayes) Robinson. My wants often times didn’t materialize… but I got what I needed.

9. Life Lessons from Basketball… The common theme in my three most memorable basketball games is “Never Ever Give Up!” #1 (NC State vs Houston, 1983) #2 (NC State vs UCLA, 1974) #3 (Duke vs Kentucky, 1992)

10. Uncle… Beyond being called “Dad”, “Uncle Mark” is the most pleasing sound to me in the world. This is even more true when it comes from younger people who do it because they want to

11. Farmer attitude… It was instilled in me that I needed to figure out how to keep a tractor older than me running in the field with a pair of ViseGrip® pliers, a ½ inch wrench, a flathead screwdriver, and a Philips screwdriver

12. Servant Leader... My goal for decades has been to put the needs of others before mine

13. Connected to You… Effective leaders are connected with those they lead by showing they are genuinely concerned about them as a person

14. Forward Looking… I don’t want to live in the past. The past helped us get to today and we must use it as a foundation

15. Encourager… Sometimes all it takes is for one person to encourage another to fulfill their dream. I am thankful for the family, friends, village, teachers, coworkers, and people put on my path in life who encouraged me.

16. Dreamer… I think about how things can be different sometimes just for the sake of doing things a different way.

17. Results Oriented… Achieving tangible goals is important. Learning and developing others to do the same is even more important.

18. Warrior… 30 years of service to the country reaching the rank of CAPTAIN - “full bird” - in the United States Navy

19. Thoughtful… All people should feel valued and that they matter

20. Emotional… I cry when I am overly happy for others and when I am overly sad for others

21. Failure… Live events sometimes have unfavorable outcomes for a person. I have had my share and continue to find value in trying. This leads to my personal growth.

22. Teacher… Preparing others for success has given me much fulfillment. This ranges from children in Sunday school to Navy Sailors, to associates at Sikorsky Aircraft, to people I meet in my day, to my children, nieces, and nephews.

23. Listener… This is a skill that is often overlooked. I listen to understand.

24. Empathic… My life experiences have allowed me to momentarily experience what a person is sharing with me. This allows a personal connection with the person.

25. Role Model… Good, Bad, or Indifferent, we are all being watched by someone and our actions influence the life of someone else.

26. Concerned… A notable moment for me was The Great Flood of 1993. I was so moved by the events occurring, I loaded my car and drove to Saint Louis to provide whatever support I could for two weeks. I continue to think about how to improve the lives of others.

27. Reflective… The replaying of past events helps develop possible alternatives and solutions for life events occurring today.

28. Caring… I am a believer that people don’t care how much you know until they see how much you care. In 1993, I went to Saint Louis, Missouri to help with the flood efforts after the

29. Patient… This is a trait that is valuable in all areas of one’s life. Sometimes a response isn’t needed immediately after an action.

30. Impatient… Rushing a process never improves the quality of the outcome.

31. Ocean perspective

32. Not afraid to fail

33. Humble

34. Reflective

35. Afraid

36. Supporter

37. Dreamer

38. Willing to help someone move

39. One off

40. Puts love first