Mark Crenshaw Named Assistant Director of CLD

March 10, 2022

Mark Crenshaw, MTS, has been named the Assistant Director of the Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University (GSU). Mark currently serves as the Director of Interdisciplinary Training for GSU’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) and the Training Director for Georgia’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (GaLEND) program. He also serves on the Executive Committee for Georgia’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Mark joined the CLD in 2011 to serve as the Training Director for GaLEND. During his time with GaLEND, Mark has mentored nearly 200 long-term trainees to enter positions of leadership within their disciplines. Mark is the definition of an influential and impactful mentor. He spends hours of one-on-one time with each trainee to ensure that they understand their role in improving clinical services and improving systems for individuals with disabilities and their families.  Mark becomes like family to his mentees, and he has been invited to officiate weddings and attend special family events of former trainees.

Mark has also co-led the AUCD Leadership Academy for the past 6 years through which he thinks deeply about how to support the next generation of disability leaders to understand their role within the disability civil rights movement.

In addition to Mark’s role in the development of leaders within Georgia and across the national UCEDD network, Mark has supported state-level efforts to improve quality of life for people with disabilities and their families. For example, he has supported efforts to remove children with disabilities from nursing homes, and has co-led COVID-19 vaccine outreach in collaboration with Georgia’s Developmental Disabilities Network. He most recently began supporting Georgia’s Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Consortium to ensure access to the college experience and increased employment opportunities for young adults with disabilities.

Mark’s graduate degree is in theological studies, and he has served as the Executive Director of the Interfaith Disability Network. He has a career interest in promoting inclusion within faith-based settings.

Mark has helped define the identity of the GSU UCEDD and GaLEND during his 11-year tenure with us. We are honored that he has accepted this leadership role with the Center for Leadership in Disability.