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9 <br /> Page 1 of 2 Mark Goldner <br /> Volunteer Application <br /> Orange County Advisory Boards and Commissions <br /> Name: Mr Mark Goldner <br /> Name Called: <br /> Home Address: 258 E. Winmore Ave. <br /> Chapel Hill NC 27516 <br /> Phone: 412-860-6104 <br /> Email: mgoldner59@gmail.com <br /> Year of OC Residence: 2021 <br /> Township of Residence: Chapel Hill <br /> Zone of Residence: Carrboro City Limits <br /> Gender Identity: Male <br /> Ethnic Background: White <br /> Age Range: 60+ <br /> Community Activities/Organizational Memberships: <br /> None <br /> Past Service on Orange County Advisory Boards: <br /> None <br /> Boards/Commissions applied for: <br /> Human Relations Commission <br /> Background, education and experience relevant to this board: <br /> I practiced employment law for over 25 years and represented both employees and employers, <br /> plaintiffs and defendants. Much of my work involved claims of discrimination of every type (race, <br /> gender, sexual orientation, transgender, age, religion). I have represented clients in front of <br /> federal, state, and local human relations commissions. Literally every one of my cases involved <br /> attempts at settlement or mediation. Consequently, I m very experienced in attempting to <br /> understand competing positions and working towards a compromise solution. Finally, in my 29 <br /> year career as a Marine Corps Officer I successfully managed and led organizations ranging in <br /> size from 15 to 200 individuals, both military and civilian. Each organization was populated by <br /> diverse people with different backgrounds, experiences and agendas. To ensure the success of <br /> the organization, I had to understand these various viewpoints and integrate them into a well <br /> functioning unit. Each of these aspects of my background and experience enhance my potential <br /> contribution to advising on solutions in the field of human relations and making <br /> recommendations designed to promote goodwill and harmony among groups in the County. <br /> Reasons for wanting to serve on this board: <br /> I have been generally aware of racism, inequity, and the vulnerability of certain communities <br /> throughout my legal career, especially in the course of representing clients in employment <br /> discrimination cases. In the past six years, however, I have become much more acutely aware <br /> of the history of racism in America and its continuing impact. Upon reading the biography of <br /> Ulysses S. Grant by Ron Chernow, I gained a deeper understanding of slavery, Reconstruction, <br /> and Jim Crow. Soon thereafter, I read The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How <br /> Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein, an eye-opening review of the various <br /> manifestations of de jure racism persisting well into my lifetime. I have continued to study these <br /> topics by reading such books as Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson and <br />