Author » Mark Ribbing
Mark Ribbing joined the Progressive Policy Institute as Director of Policy Development in May 2007. He draws upon his experience in government and journalism to write and edit policy materials across a broad range of subject areas.
A native of Missouri, Mr. Ribbing attended Yale College, where he graduated in 1992 with a major in history. He then earned a juris doctor degree at Columbia Law School, with certification from the Parker School of Foreign and Comparative Law.
After serving as a lawyer and editorialist for the Lehman Communications Corporation, a Colorado newspaper group, Mr. Ribbing joined The Baltimore Sun in 1997 as a reporter covering the deregulation and expansion of the telecommunications and high-technology industries.
In April 2001, Mr. Ribbing became a senior speechwriter for New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, serving through the end of the administration on the final day of that year. He then returned to his original hometown of St. Louis, where he joined the staff of the city's Democratic mayor, Francis Slay.
As a special assistant to Mayor Slay, Mr. Ribbing worked as a speechwriter and crime-policy aide, and became involved in the administration's deepening efforts to reform St. Louis's public-school system. He left City Hall to focus on this vital issue, serving as a startup project manager for a public charter school in a disadvantaged neighborhood on the city's north side.
Mr. Ribbing remained active in the field of education, both as a policy advocate and as a teacher. He has also worked as a writer and consultant for business and nonprofit clients, including Big Brothers Big Sisters and the United States Fund for UNICEF. His articles on politics and policy have appeared in numerous publications, including The Baltimore Sun, The Christian Science Monitor, and TomPaine.com. He and his wife Rebecca live in Alexandria, Virginia.