Thirteen years ago, an urban planner and designer came to the Island from Montreal as the new executive director of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. He was familiar with the Island as a seasonal vacationer, but over the years he realized that there is a different relationship with the Island when you live here year round. Both of these experiences came together to create a deep love for the Island. Mark London was and is committed to the commission’s mandate to preserve and conserve “the unique natural, historical, ecological, scientific, and cultural values of Martha’s Vineyard.” I know of no one more devoted to this Island and its community.

I asked the other five chairmen, Jim Vercruysse, Jim Athearn, Doug Sederholm, Christina Brown and Chris Murphy, who worked with Mark for their thoughts about him. What follows is a kind of group portrait. Each of us admired his professionalism and was impressed by his work ethic. He was calm, deliberate and persistent and we often relied upon him to help us through many of the emotional times that we witnessed during his tenure. Through golf course wars, roundabout challenges and Island Plan doubters, Mark’s knowledge about the planning and regulatory process helped us avoid the pitfalls and unintended consequences in the commission’s work. He brought the community together and steered the long and exhaustive process of researching and deliberating the Island Plan. Mark had a vision of how the MVC and the community could protect the unique resources of our Vineyard. He gathered our sometimes inarticulate thoughts and statements and through his writings would capture what the commission and the public were trying to express. The Island Plan is a treasure trove and we will use it for insight and guidance in the years to come.

Our Island faces many challenges, but Mark has left us a series of policies that will help mitigate impacts on our unique resources and withstand the tests of legal challenges. He was accessible to everyone and worked with a dedicated staff to initiate and prepare planning studies that address water quality, affordable housing, wind energy, arts and culture, scenic character, historical preservation, sustainable economic development, and transportation improvements. Many of these projects could not have been completed without Mark’s in depth research and calm guidance. State entities were more willing to defer and collaborate with us due to their respect for Mark and the professional level of our work. We may never fully appreciate his contributions because he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to leave us a legacy that will provide strong foundations for our work in the years to come.

We are grateful and fortunate to have had Mark’s dedication. It is our simple wish that he will continue to enjoy his deep love of the Island as he begins his well-deserved retirement.

Mark, thank you!

Fred Hancock
Oak Bluffs