GRACE Marketplace appoints Mark Bonner as Chief Executive Officer
Press release from GRACE Marketplace
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Board of Directors of GRACE Marketplace is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Bonner as Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2026.
Before being instated as Chief Executive Officer, Bonner was appointed Interim CEO this past June. Leading up to this, his career at GRACE Marketplace began as an Operations Advocate more than four years ago before becoming Director of Facilities.
Bonner’s work in each of the aforementioned roles at GRACE has given him a direct understanding of the organization’s daily operations, the needs of the guests, and the support that staff needs to be successful.
“I started at GRACE as an Operations Advocate, so I’ve seen firsthand the difference our staff makes in people’s lives every day. It’s an honor to now lead this organization and support the people doing that work. Our mission is to end homelessness, and I’m committed to making sure that mission drives every decision we make,” Bonner said.
Julianne Raymond Flinchum, Chair of the GRACE Marketplace Board of Directors, welcomed Bonner to the role, stating, “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I’m thrilled to name Mark Bonner as GRACE Marketplace’s CEO. Over more than four years with GRACE, Mark has shown a deep commitment to our mission of ending homelessness in our community, and during his time as Interim CEO he has led with steadiness, integrity, and heart. The support Mark has from his team says everything about the kind of leader he is. This was a clear decision for the board, and I couldn’t be more excited to have Mark carrying GRACE forward.”
GRACE Marketplace would like to extend an invitation to our media partners and community members to get to know Mark at a Leadership Meet & Greet at The Lynx Books on November 17th, 2026, from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM.
Cue the Chronitard GRACE Derangement Syndrome
comments….
I just want to know what the Darius Williams scandal was. Guess it will take a public records request of a lot of emails.
We’re in year 12 (21 if you count the initial planning) of their 10 year plan to end homelessness, and they have been not only a complete failure, but an absolute disaster for our community.
As a “low-barrier” shelter, GRACE does not require drug testing, sobriety, or criminal background checks for entry. The criminal homeless that other shelters won’t touch–that’s their customer base. This makes them a magnet for crime and draws transient criminals from outside Alachua County into our local neighborhoods and public spaces.
GRACE Marketplace and Mark Bonner in particular have always been extremely dishonest in their data reporting, constantly citing a reduction in homelessness whenever the backlash against their criminal organization peaks, while begging for additional funding in the same sentence.
GRACE is a bad-faith actor and they have zero incentive to ever reduce the homeless population, and in fact they are actively incentivized to bring in as many as possible. More homeless = more funding. That’s why amoral sociopaths like Mark Bonner were recruited in the first place, to more effectively bleed available tax dollars from our weak and incompetent local government.
GRACE is a massive drain on our police, fire, and EMS services. You will find articles in the AC nearly every day about some homeless person committing a violent crime, and frequently they are not even from this county (even lying Mark Bonner admits that 42% of GRACE criminal residents are from out of county). The only thing worse than the criminal scum at GRACE Marketplace are the criminal scum that work there.
Thank you Alachua county for bringing this plague of homeless to us. By concentrating here in OUR city they are a public embarrassment and and expensive as well. I live on the east side and I see them walking in the street, begging, stealing. I see police and ambulances going to grace almost everytime I have occaision to go by there. What is the true cost of attracting the homeless to our city? Read the long article in the alligator about them. Although many of their conclusions were weak or wrong it did point out that we are 1 of 2 (perhaps 3) shelters in florida that do not screen the homeless. How irresponsible to inflict this curse on us. Drug addicts, sex offenders, the mentally ill (a whole other conversation) and ex prisoners. Truthfully, I do not want these people in or near my community and children.