Mark Gorenflo

Chief of Staff & Director of Innovation and Economic Development, North Dakota University System

Mark joined the North Dakota University System in September 2023 after a 40 year career as a naval officer, a member of the Federal Senior Executive Service, and a higher education leader. 

 Mark previously served as the Executive Director of the BerkeleyHaas Evening & Weekend MBA Program. Mark worked with the EWMBA Team to deliver the academic program and student experience events tailored to meet the needs of its working professional students. He also engaged with partners at UC Berkeley and at business schools around the world to create opportunities for learning and engagement beyond the Haas community. 

 Mark joined Haas in May 2015 as a student in the Executive MBA Program, He joined the Haas staff in January 2017 as the Director of Academics for the EWMBA Program and became the program’s Executive Director in November 2019. 

 Prior to joining Haas, Mark had a 35 year career in the Federal government, including 21 years in uniform as a Navy submariner. Career highlights include service as the Commanding Officer of USS PARCHE; Director of Communications for the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Principal Director for the Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy for Policy; and the Director of Operations for the Defense Innovation Unit 

 In addition to his MBA from Haas, Mark earned a B.S (majoring in English) at the U. S. Naval Academy and an M.A. in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.