MARK KIRSTNER, WVAR FOUNDER - EQUITY BIO

Mark has served as a community and transportation planner for over 35 years. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of North Carolina at Charlotte receiving two degrees in Geography. His equity work began in 2011 when he led the effort to create a 12-county, multi-agency plan called Piedmont Together. The project’s goal was to assist communities throughout the Piedmont Triad to become more sustainable and prosperous while increasing awareness of social and economic inequalities in all communities. The plan won the American Planning Association - NC Chapter 2014 Theme Award for Equitable Development. It was during this time that he attended REI’s Racial Equity Workshop, led two equity summits and assisted with a publication entitled “Equitable Growth Profile of the Piedmont Triad Region.” His work in transportation includes presentations on Equity and Planning on the Regional Level, Transportation Equity, and Making Public Transportation a Better Choice. This year he won a North Carolina Public Transportation Association Transit Advocate Award, was actively involved in getting Fellowship Presbyterian Church to be a Mathew 25 Church, and recently completed a course entitled “Race and Cultural Diversity in American Life and History” through the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  His community service includes:

• North Carolina Public Transportation Association Board Member (2013-2018)
• Winston-Salem Foundation Community Transportation Committee (2019-2020)
• Tiny Houses Greensboro Volunteer Fundraiser (2018)
• UNCG MPA Advisory Board (2016-Present)
• Facilitator for the Greensboro Participatory Budgeting Process (2015)
• The Model Farm Board of Directors (2014-2017)
• Transit Alliance of the Piedmont (2013-Present)
• Presbyterian Counseling Center Board of Directors (2007-2012)
• Fellowship Presbyterian Church Pastor Nominating Committee Chair and other leadership roles (1996-Present)
• Comprehensive Growth Management Plan Citizens Advisory Committee (1995-1996)