Mark Gibson Retires

Mark Gibson (left) receives a photograph from Samuel L. "Tony" Milbank, Chair of the Board of the Milbank Memorial Fund, (right), in celebration of his retirement.

Mark Gibson (left) receives a photograph from Samuel L. “Tony” Milbank, Chair of the Board of the Milbank Memorial Fund, (right), in celebration of his retirement.

Mark Gibson, a program officer at the Milbank Memorial Fund since 2003 and co-director of the Center for Evidence-based Policy at Oregon Health and Science University, retired this June. Prior to his work with the Fund and the Center, Mark served as chief of staff to the Oregon Senate president and health policy advisor to the Oregon governor. He was also a founding member and co-chair of the Reforming States Group (RSG). A kind and generous colleague, Mark will be missed by staff at the Fund and RSG members alike. With a persistent voice of wisdom at state meetings and Evidence-Informed Health Policy Workshops, Mark is admired by policymakers, inside and outside state government.

Mark was presented with a parting gift of an iconic photograph of the March to Selma. The photo was accompanied by a quote from Robert F. Kennedy that read, in part: “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.“

“Many have been shaped by the ripples and waves that Mark has created with his work and his passion, and we are all the better for it,” said Christopher F. Koller, President of the Fund. If he is not too busy enjoying his family, his sailboat, and the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, the Fund hopes to engage Mark in advisory and faculty roles in the future.