Mark Fox

Pacific Islands Innovation Landscape Director

Raised in Hilo and Waimea on the Island of Hawai‘i, Mark received his bachelor's and law degrees from Santa Clara University a long time ago. Following a four-year test drive as a private practice attorney in Honolulu, Mark’s career took an unexpected turn in the ‘90s when he joined U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye’s Washington, DC staff handling natural resources, agriculture, and justice issues. While six years working for Senator Inouye was an amazing and once-in-a-lifetime experience, Mark longed for warm water and good surf. Thus resulted a fantastic 19-year run as Director of External Affairs for The Nature Conservancy’s Hawaiʻi and Palmyra Program handling the chapter’s government affairs and advocacy work. Mark returned to government service in 2020 with NOAA Fisheries’ Pacific Islands Region where he managed a professional team developing and implementing Federal fishery management actions, including policies, environmental compliance, science analysis, and regulations for commercial and non-commercial fisheries in Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The wonderful opportunity to join the LegacyWorks team in 2025 provides a homecoming of sorts allowing Mark to again work with a broad range of conservation professionals who are also longtime friends. 

In his volunteer time, Mark serves on the boards of the Hawai‘i Agriculture Research Center and Hawai‘i Rangeland Stewardship Foundation, and on the Hawai‘i Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species steering committee, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply Stakeholder Advisory Group, and the City and County of Honolulu Stormwater and Wastewater Advisory Group.

Mark lives in Honolulu with his wife, Colette. They have two grown children, Phoebe and Charlie. Surfing is Mark’s recreational passion.

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