Mark Deaton
Board Member

Mark brings a lifelong love of music and a deep background in leadership to the Bellingham Festival of Music Board. He is currently Chief Operating Officer at Vyond AI Video Creation and has spent more than 30 years guiding organizations in technology, customer success, and operations.

A former trumpet player with the U.S. Air Force’s 17-piece show band, The Maxwellaires, Mark’s early musical experiences gave him an enduring appreciation for live performance and artistic collaboration. He received a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Southern Mississippi, and an MBA in Financial Economics from Auburn University at Montgomery, Alabama. His career has taken him from managing network operations for the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to senior leadership roles at companies including OpenTable, ADP, and a few of his own ventures.

Mark and his wife, Laura, moved to Bellingham from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2022 and have enjoyed building and deepening their relationships within the local music community. Laura and Mark both enjoy the outdoors, spending time with their rescued pups Griffin and Karma, and appreciate the beauty all around them in this special part of the world.