Come join the East Cuyahoga County Genealogical Society and visit the Mayfield Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library for an Ohio Humanities’ Speakers Bureau event with Mark Holbrook!

With boundless technology and more forms of entertainment than anyone can possibly take in, why is it that travelers continue to consistently identify heritage destinations as a major influence when planning their vacations? The answer is the same today as it was in decades and centuries past; an innate curiosity about where we come from and how the people of our past have impacted our lives today. The foundation for a thriving heritage tourism industry exists in virtually every city and town in the country. In this presentation, learn about the trends in heritage travel, success stories and how communities are celebrating and sharing their heritage.

Mark Holbrook is currently the executive director for the Marion Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Prior to that, Mark served as the marketing manager at the Ohio History Connection for nine years and has been a consultant for tourism and history-based organizations for 12 years. He is a native Ohioan, graduate of The Ohio State University (BA in Communications) and an avid student of history.

Mark is the editor of the The Buckeye Vanguard about the 49^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Mark recently retired from a 20-year career as a Civil War reenactor, serving as a Union officer throughout the country at such places as Gettysburg, Chattanooga, Richmond and Shiloh. Mark also served as military coordinator for the film Light of Freedom released in the fall of 2013 and had a supporting role in the 2015 film Wings of the Wind. Mark served on the Civil War Sesquicentennial Advisory Committee for the state of Ohio and has appeared in several television history-themed television programs.