Mark Black has been a Senior Photographer since 2009. Prior to that he served as one of many award-winning staff photographers, starting in 1993. In addition to his photojournalist responsibilities, Mark is the company's Copyright Administrator handing the release of all Daily Herald intellectual property for commercial, editorial and personal use.

In 2007, Mark was chosen to be the Assistant Project Manager, Trainer and Power User for new SaxoTech front-end system deployment. As a Power User, he was part of a small group of editorial employees that were charged with the responsibility to the design, implement and deploy the company's largest system upgrade since its inception in 1871. Mark is also the administrator of the company's candidate election database used to gather information from all candidates running for elected office within the Daily Herald coverage area.

In addition to all of these responsibilities he is a substitute Photography Department Supervisor, Night and Sunday Photo Editor.

During his years at the Daily Herald, Mark has been honored for his work with awards from various journalism organization from around the country that include the National Press Photographers Association, Associated Press, Illinois Press Photographers Association, Inland Press and the Chicago Headline Club.

Mark has enjoyed covering such events as the 1998 NBA Finals, the 1996 Republican Convention in San Diego, Calif., the 2001 inauguration of President George W. Bush along with more somber moments such as being one of first media members on the scene of the Brown's Chicken murders in Palatine.

In 1999, Mark Black was elected vice president of the Illinois Press Photographers Association and was re-elected five times for a total of 10 years of service to an organization that promotes quality photojournalism in the state of Illinois.

Mark graduated from Columbia College with a degree in photojournalism where he was an elected officer of the college's National Press Photographers Association student chapter.