Mark Valkonen is hard of hearing with a moderate to severe hearing loss, and has worn hearing aids most of his life. He has a Masters Degree in Computer Science, and has worked for several large corporations. Mark is very active in hearing loss issues, including being the current president of the Hearing Loss Association of America Colorado Springs Chapter, chairperson for the Legal Auxiliary Services Advisory Council for the Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and is a member of the Leadership Network for the DBTAC. He participates in the HLAA Walk4Hearing and Building Communication Bridges Conference each year. He is a volunteer with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Citizen's Patrol, and resides in Colorado Springs.