Mark E. Swinton is a producer of television for Tyler Perry Studios. Swinton is currently producing The Haves And The Have Nots episodic drama on OWN, the sitcom For Better Or Worse, and the new sitcom Love Thy Neighbor, also on OWN. Swinton also works as a producer and assistant director for the live stage shows written and directed by Mr. Perry each year. Swinton produced seasons five and six of House Of Payne, winning an NAACP Image Award for his work on season five. Swinton also produced each season of Tyler Perry's hit situation comedy For Better Or Worse.Swinton received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the highly acclaimed Newhouse School at Syracuse University. At Syracuse, Swinton studied television and film, with a double major in creative writing and directing. Swinton did his graduate study in film at National University.In television, Swinton wrote for ABC's hit animated sitcom The Proud Family, and UPN's sitcom Second Time Around. Swinton also directed several episodes of Perry's Meet The Browns.In theater, Swinton was the Assistant Director for Stan Lathan on the Tony Award winning show Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. Swinton has also garnered a number of accolades as a playwright and theater director. He was the winner of the 2002 NAACP Theater Award For Best Director, and the 2002 NAACP Theater Award for Best Playwright. As a stage director, Swinton's credits include 42nd Street, Guys And Dolls, Hello Dolly, Purlie Victorious, Dreamgirls, The Amen Corner, The Wiz, West Side Story, Dracula, and several original stage musicals that he wrote, produced and directed. Swinton's original works include Ephraim's Song, Black Olive, Sugarbread Sweet, Keep Movin' On, and the provocative stage play Autumn.As a theater educator, Swinton founded the Stephen and Carrie Odell Theatre Arts Academy in Los Angeles, and The Youth Arts Initiative, an after school program for at risk youth. Swinton wrote the curriculum for both schools, and birthed a creative writing, film, and theatre arts program that attracted thousands of youth from all over greater Los Angeles. Swinton has produced, written, and directed over 30 professional level productions with young people in Los Angeles. For his work, Swinton won the Teach For America Educator of the Year Award, and the LAUSD Gold Star Award, and was nominated for the National Disney Teacher Award five years in a row.