Mr. Mark S. Lewis, President and Chief Executive Officer of POISE Foundation, February 2002 to present.

Mark is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   After graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in accounting, he began his career as a financial auditor with the Pittsburgh office of Price Waterhouse, a public accounting firm.  After spending two and one-half years as a financial auditor, Mark transferred to the Information Systems Risk Management group.  Here he specialized in auditing and advising companies on security and controls within computerized environments.  After eight years with Price Waterhouse reaching the level of manager, Mark joined the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP as a manager. He reached the level of senior manager prior to departing his position 5 years later to accept an opportunity to head POISE Foundation. 

In addition to his day to day employment, he is very active in the community. He has attended  Deliverance Baptist Church since 1990 where he serves as an Elder and has served in the positions of Treasurer, Trustee, Administrator and is active in the teaching ministry.  In addition to his church, Mark is active in several organizations and initiatives including: Treasurer of the Board of the Community Investment Network; Chair of the Advisory Board of The Heinz Endowments African American Men and Boys Initiative, Immediate Past Chair and board member of Sustainable Pittsburgh,  Treasurer board of Grant Makers of Western Pennsylvania, Board Member of Scout Reach, Board Member of Kappa Scholarship Endowment Fund, Board Member of Program To Aid Citizen Enterprise, a member of the Advisory Board of the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management, past treasurer of the board of the August Wilson Center.  He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh XXII.  

With philanthropy as a central theme and focus, Mr. Lewis is the co-founder of the African American Funders Group, a local group of African Americans working for Foundations or other grantmaking organizations within Pittsburgh.  Mr. Lewis was also instrumental in the founding of the Sankofa Fund of Southwest PA a giving circle currently comprised of African Americans who are pulling their resources of time, talent, and treasure with the purpose of investing in causes that will positively impact Pittsburgh’s Black community.

Mr. Lewis resides in Wilkins Township, PA along with his wife, Michelle. They have three daughters; Alexandria, Victoria, and Kristina.