Vol. XXVI · Lorain, Ohio Founder · Broadcaster · Record Executive · Public Servant Est. 1991

Faith. Frequency. Family. Legacy.

Two-time Stellar Award-winning broadcaster. Sony / Orchard-distributed label president. Chairman, National Association of Gospel Radio. Builder of institutions, careers, and campaigns at the intersection of faith, media, music, and the public square.

Book a Keynote → Work With Mark

As Heard, Seen, Cited & Trusted

✦ Stellar Awards · 2x Winner

✦ The Orchard / Sony Music

✦ National Association of Gospel Radio · Chair

✦ NAB Leadership Cohort 2022

✦ WNZN Power 89.1 FM

✦ Power Gospel Network

✦ Marxan Records

✦ Blackberry Records

✦ Lorain Port Authority · Chair

✦ Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio · Vice Chair

✦ Stellar Awards · 2x Winner

✦ The Orchard / Sony Music

✦ National Association of Gospel Radio · Chair

✦ NAB Leadership Cohort 2022

✦ WNZN Power 89.1 FM

✦ Power Gospel Network

✦ Marxan Records

✦ Blackberry Records

✦ Lorain Port Authority · Chair

✦ Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio · Vice Chair

Why Trust Me

I haven't read about building. I built it.

From eight Papa John's franchises and a $7M annual budget to one of the most complete independent gospel media ecosystems in America — I've spent more than three decades turning vision into infrastructure.

Founder & CEO of the P.A.C.E. Foundation. Founder & President of Marxan Records. President of Blackberry Records. Operator of WNZN Power 89.1 FM and the Power Gospel Network. Chairman of the National Association of Gospel Radio. Helped lead Lorain City Schools out of House Bill 70 state takeover. Now Chair of the Public Defender's Commission of Lorain County, Chairman of the Lorain Port Authority, and Vice Chair of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio.

This isn't a résumé. It's a track record of finishing — and I bring that same discipline to every keynote, every artist on the roster, every leader I mentor, and every campaign I touch.

Download Media Kit (PDF)

Dr. Mark Ballard on air at WNZN Power 89.1 FM, the ON AIR light lit — On air · WNZN Power 89.1 FM · Lorain, Ohio

01
Two-Time Stellar Award Winner · 8x NomineeRecognized by gospel music's highest honor for broadcast excellence — for WNZN, personally held.
02
Chairman, National Association of Gospel RadioElected to lead the national body for gospel broadcasting — the industry chose its own captain.
03
Sony-Distributed Label PresidentMarxan Records distributed by The Orchard / Sony Music. Stellar nominees The Christianaires, Charles Woolfork, and Tim Woodson & The Heirs Of Harmony — Dove nominees Rufus Troutman, Charles Woolfork, Shadonna Navarro.
04
Helped Lead a District Out of State Takeover13-year veteran of the Lorain City Schools Board — instrumental in returning local control after House Bill 70.
05
Two Honorary Doctorates · NAB Leadership 2022Recognized for ministry, media, and public service. Graduate of the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Cohort.
06
Built From the GroundStarted in food-service ops. Today: media, music, public office, and faith leadership — institutions stitched together by hand.

Stellar Awards

Stellar Nominations

Honorary Doctorates

13yr

Public Board Service

$7M

P&L Operated · 8 Locations

30+

Years in Leadership

Keynote Speaking

Six signature talks. One mandate: leave the room different.

For conferences, leadership summits, faith institutions, board retreats, and education convenings. Booking 2026 dates now.

Dr. Mark Ballard delivering a keynote at the podium before a live audience — "Leave the room different." Live · Lorain County

What Do You Have in the House?

The biblical principle that built a media empire from nothing — and what it teaches every leader about leveraging what's already in your hand.

Signature Keynote · 45–60 min

Frequency of Purpose

The most successful leaders aren't the loudest — they're broadcasting on the right frequency to the right audience at the right time. The anchor talk for the forthcoming book.

Anchor Talk · Book In Progress

From Takeover to Turnaround

How a community took its school district back from House Bill 70 state control — and the governance playbook that returned local accountability.

Civic · Education · Public Sector

Build the Kingdom & the Bank Account

Faith-informed entrepreneurship for the next generation of Black builders — without the prosperity-gospel shortcuts, and without the apology.

Faith × Business Audiences

The Servant Leader's Playbook

Board governance, community accountability, and legacy — distilled from 13 years of elected service and Vice Chair seats at Boys & Girls Clubs.

Nonprofit · Civic · Education

Gospel in the Digital Age

How to keep Black sacred music alive — and profitable — in a streaming-first world. For artists, labels, broadcasters, and the ministers who serve them.

Music Industry · Media

Speaker fees start at $15,000 + travel. Custom packages available.

Half-day workshops · Full-day intensives · Multi-event retainers

Request Availability →

Mentoring · For Leaders

Three doors in. One philosophy: we build, we don't bandage.

For founders, nonprofit leaders, and executives who want a strategic partner — not a cheerleader.

Tier 01

The Inner Circle

$497 / month

A private group mastermind. Monthly live calls, member directory, and the Mark My Words playbook library.

Two live group calls per month
Members-only resource vault
Private community + peer intros
Office hours via WhatsApp
Cancel anytime

Apply to Join

Most Requested

Tier 02

1:1 Executive Coaching

$2,500 / month

Direct access. We work on the actual moves — the deal you're closing, the org you're scaling, the platform you're building.

Two 60-min strategy sessions monthly
Voxer access between calls
Document & deck review
Network introductions
3-month minimum engagement

Schedule a Discovery Call

Tier 03

The VIP Day

$10,000 / day

A single day. Your whole strategy on the table. We come out with a 90-day action plan and a roadmap you can actually execute.

Full-day private intensive (in-person or virtual)
Pre-work audit + post-day briefing doc
One follow-up call at 30 days
Bring up to 2 senior team members
Available quarterly · limited slots

Book a VIP Day

For Artists & Creatives

The Blackberry / Marxan Music Group.

Three decades of building gospel careers from the local stage to the national pipeline. Distribution. Management. Production. Promotion. One team — under one roof.

Tier 01 · Label & Distribution

Marxan / Blackberry Records

Independent gospel distribution through The Orchard / Sony Music Entertainment — 12+ years of preferred-label status. Currently home to seven signed artists and a roster of Stellar & Dove Award nominees.

The Christianaires · Charles Woolfork · Tim Woodson & The Heirs Of Harmony · Rufus Troutman · Shadonna Navarro

Submit for Consideration →

Tier 02 · Career Roadmap

Artist Management

★

Career roadmapping for emerging and mid-tier gospel artists — booking strategy, brand positioning, project release planning, label and publishing relationships, and the day-to-day decisions that move a career from local to national.

By application · selective roster · long-term partnership

Apply for Management →

Tier 03 · Studio

Songwriting & Production

♪

Original compositions and full-spectrum production for albums, projects, and signature singles. Available as work-for-hire, co-writer collaborations, or executive producer engagements across traditional gospel, urban inspirational, and contemporary worship.

Available for select album projects & single releases

Inquire About a Project →

Tier 04 · Live

Concert & Event Promotion

▲

Faith events, gospel showcases, anniversary concerts, and community festivals — built on three decades of building rooms. From the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre on down. We bring the room, the radio, and the rollout.

Anchor venues · multi-state tours · church & civic partnerships

Partner On an Event →

Strategic & Campaign Advisory

Selective engagements.

From U.S. Congressional district leadership to multi-county ballot campaigns, faith-based mobilization, and nonprofit public-affairs strategy — three decades bridging the political office, the faith institution, the civic board, and the grassroots movement.

A small number of advisory engagements per year. Each is evaluated case-by-case to ensure alignment with current public-service obligations.

Inquire About an Engagement →

Ballot initiative & levy campaigns
Faith-based voter mobilization
Civic-education & public-awareness campaigns
Nonprofit public-affairs strategy
Coalition-building & community organizing
Crisis communications for faith & civic institutions
Board governance & turnaround consulting
Speaker prep & debate readiness

Press & Recognition

The receipts. Not the resume.

Endorsements that don't get handed out easily — from the gospel industry, the broadcast world, and the public square.

Stellar Awards2x Winner · 8 Noms

National Assoc. of Gospel RadioChairman

NAB Leadership2022 Cohort

The Orchard / SonyDistribution

Public Defender's CommissionChair · Lorain County

Lorain Port AuthorityChairman

BGCA Northeast OhioVice Chair

Lorain Police Dept.Chaplain

Two Honorary DoctoratesMinistry · Media

Greater Victory / Now FaithOrdained Elder · Trustee

Dr. Mark Ballard holding 2023 Stellar Award nominee plaques for WNZN — Stellar Awards · WNZN Recognition

Dr. Mark Ballard with a distinguished community elder at a formal event — Industry & Community

Dr. Mark Ballard honored at a Lorain County Community College leadership award gala — Leadership Award · Honoree

In Their Words

What leaders & artists say after the room clears.

Dr. Ballard didn't just speak — he reframed our whole organizational strategy in two hours. Worth every dollar and then some.
— Testimonial PlaceholderNonprofit CEO · Northeast Ohio

If you want polish, hire someone else. If you want truth that builds, hire Mark. He saw what I'd been missing for two years.
— Testimonial PlaceholderMarxan Records Recording Artist

Rare to find someone fluent in the boardroom and the choir loft. Our board left that retreat aligned and energized.
— Testimonial PlaceholderFaith-Based Foundation Chair

The Vault

Books, merch & tools — the full catalog.

Apparel and resources from the Mark My Words line. New drops monthly.

Book One · Available Now

Now Streaming · Faith Story

The Will to Rise.

My story — unfiltered. The rooms I almost left. The faith that wouldn't let me. A short film and conversation built to renew anyone holding on by a thread.

Proceeds support WNZN Power 89.1 FM and the P.A.C.E. Foundation's youth programming.

Mark's Inner Circle

Get the playbook. Free.

Once a week, a short, plain-spoken note from me — the move I'm watching, the deal I just closed, the lesson I almost paid too much to learn. Plus first-look access to events, drops, and mentoring openings.

Top 10 Leadership Lessons Instant download when you sign up — built from 30+ years leading teams from food service to broadcast.

Ready When You Are

Let's get to work.

The keynote stage. The strategy table. The recording booth. The campaign room. The mentoring chair. The door is open and the calendar is real.

Book a Keynote Start a Conversation

"Creating solutions for successful lives and healthy communities."