CMP Welcomes Former Acting Secretary of the Army as New Board Member
August 1, 2026
The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mark Averill to its Board of Directors.
A member of the Army’s Senior Executive Service for over 15 years, Averill was appointed as Acting Secretary of the Army in January 2025. In this role, he provided strategic leadership and oversight for the Army’s core Title 10 functions that include “Organize, Train, and Equip,” while also guiding personnel and resource management allocation decisions, policy formulation, and development of programs consistent with national security objectives and policies established by the President.
Prior to his appointment as Acting Secretary, Averill served as the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, both as a Principal Official of Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) and the Senior Career Civilian in the Army. In this capacity he was responsible for advising the Secretary of the Army and providing direct support to HQDA organizations and enterprise level services to Army-wide Commands.
Before his appointment to the Senior Executive Service, Averill served for over 27 years on Active Duty in the Army, retiring at the rank of Colonel.
Other senior positions he has held include:
- Deputy Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army
- Executive Director of the U.S. Army Resources and Programs Agency in HQDA
- Director of Resource Management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics
- Director of Force Projection and Distribution, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics
- Chief of the Army Requirements and Resourcing Board, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans
Averill holds a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the Marine Corps University (Quantico, Va.), and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy (West Point, N.Y.). Additionally, he is a graduate of the Marine Corps War College, the Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.
Learn more about CMP’s current Board of Directors at https://thecmp.org/about/board/.