Mr. Blankenship is an opinion and litigation researcher, communications strategist and owner of Mark Blankenship Enterprises. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, national trade organizations and associations, major law firms, hospitals, colleges and universities, political candidates and more. He has previously worked for a leading opinion research company in the mid-Atlantic region and served as a top assistant to former Governor Cecil H. Underwood during his administration and gubernatorial campaigns. He is involved in numerous civic activities including serving as president of his local Little League and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Charleston Gazette-Mail newspaper.