Hi, I'm Marko
I am a lifelong Montgomery County resident, growing up in Gaithersburg and Germantown. My mom, grandma, and great-grandmother emigrated from Bolivia, while my dad's family is from Slovenia, forming a foundation of resilience, hard work, and care for community.
Those influences have driven me toward public service. After graduating from Clarksburg High School, I attended the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Academy, where I became a nationally-certified EMT and firefighter. It was there that I learned what it truly means to show up for your neighbors, especially in moments of crisis, and how deeply connected our individual stories are to the well-being of the whole community.​
​
My wife, Jackie, and I have been married for over three years, and we just bought our first house in the Upcounty region. Montgomery County is where we grew up, where we work, where we have friends and family, and where we want to start our own family.
WHY I'M RUNNING
Growing up in a multigenerational Bolivian-American household, I learned from an early age about the power of community, tradition, and collective responsibility. My mother was deeply involved in local politics, so civic engagement was never an abstract concept to me. These experiences instilled in me a commitment to increasing visibility, access, and meaningful participation in our democratic process at the local level, particularly for young people and the growing Latino community in the county. Local politics matters just as much as state and national because it is at the local level where decisions most directly shape our daily lives. Montgomery County is my home, and it is where we are putting down roots and investing in our future. Now more than ever, the values that built this country must endure even as they are tested by our current federal administration.
MY WORK IN THE COMMUNITY
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, I co-founded The Upcounty Hub, to meet the urgent needs of families in the upper region of Montgomery County by providing food and essential resources. Through partnerships with Montgomery County Government and a network of community organizations, The Upcounty Hub grew from an initiative at BlackRock Center for the Arts into an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Today, it serves approximately 1,700 families each week through home deliveries, choice pantry, drive-thru distributions, and community-based events, providing fresh and shelf-stable food resources with access to vital social services. In my role as the Chief Operating Officer, I have built deep and lasting relationships within the community that are rooted in service, collaboration, and empathy to ensure we meet people where they are and respond to their needs with dignity and care.
CONTINUING CIVIC LEADERSHIP
​
Over the years, I have had the privilege of working on several local and state political campaigns and serving in a variety of organizing roles, including event coordination, canvassing, and fundraising. For over ten years, I was a Board Member and later Vice President of the Latino Democratic Club of Montgomery County, focused on increasing Latino representation and political participation across the county. ​
​​
In 2020, I was appointed by County Executive Marc Elrich to the Community Recovery Advisory Group and the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, which included serving as the Co-Chair of the 911 & 311 Subcommittee. Each role gave me the opportunity to shape policy responses during one of our most challenging times.
​
These experiences inspired me to step into a broader leadership role, leading me to apply for the vacancy in the male District 15 seat on the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee (MCDCC) following the appointment of now–Delegate Greg Wims in 2022. Later that year, I ran for election to continue serving in that role and was honored to earn the trust of voters. I have since served as Assistant Secretary, Secretary, and now Vice Chair. I am now asking for your vote for another four-year term so that I may continue this work — encouraging more individuals to step forward, run for office, and actively engage in shaping the future of our community.