Mark S. Shearer (born August 11, 1952) is a native Iowan and served 8 years in the Iowa House and Senate. Born in Burlington, Iowa, Mr. Shearer's hometown is Washington, Iowa and attended the University of Iowa. He was a broadcaster and journalist from 1968 to 1978, and served on the Board of Directors for the Iowa Broadcast News Association (1975-1978). Shearer was editor of The Columbus Gazette Columbus Junction, Iowa from 1979 to 1995. A member of the Iowa Arts Council Board of Directors in the 1980s, Mark chaired the council from 1985 to 1988. Shearer was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives (1989 to 1993 - 55th district) and the Iowa Senate (1999 to 2003 - 49th district). He joined the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in 2004 as Emergency Programs Coordinator, and was appointed coordinator of the Multi-State Partnership for Security in Agriculture in 2008 with Iowa Homeland Security.