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The Afriat
Consulting Group,
Inc. |
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His expertise was first honed in the private sector while employed as an Associate for a land-use firm, where he specialized in entitlement issues. He managed several projects, which were approved and have been built, and managed the day-to-day operations of the Warner Center Association, a vital business association in the West San Fernando Valley. Mark’s expertise was further developed as a Senior Field Deputy for former Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. He was responsible for managing Brentwood, West Los Angeles and a portion of Palms serving the array of needs for approximately 50,000 constituents. Resolving constituent issues often involved liaison efforts with city, county and state agencies and community outreach. Prior to joining The Afriat Consulting Group, Inc., Mark worked at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority as a Planner. In this capacity, he was an integral member of a team that brought to completion the Bring Los Angeles Home Plan, which is a comprehensive document on the causes of homelessness with key recommendations for significantly reducing the problem within ten years. The project was a successful public-private partnership that involved managing several committees. Additionally, Edwards participated on some of these committees providing input on solutions. Mark is involved with and committed to community. He was instrumental, as part of a team of community leaders, in the creation of the Hollywood United Neighborhood Council. He is an active volunteer with Hope-Net, a not-for-profit interfaith organization committed to ending hunger and homelessness. Mark hails from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, but has resided in Los Angeles for over a decade. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies from California State University, Northridge with a concentration in Public Administration and Community Service. Mark resides in
Studio City with his wife, actress and entrepreneur, Deidra Edwards. |