Marcus Copeland

    

Marcus Copeland (born 6 February 1951) is a Continental statesman currently serving as Vice Premier of the United Commonwealth since 2019, and as a member of the Presidium of the National People's Congress since 2021. He is also a representative to the National People's Congress, a position he's held since 1985, a member of the Secretariat since 2009, and was a full member of the 32nd through 37th Central Committees from 2001 to present.

Marcus Copeland
Marcus Copeland in 2019
Vice Premier of the Council of People's Commissars
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 March 2019
Premier	Joseph Ojeda
Preceded by	Taylor Swift
Member of the 28th Presidium
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 January 2021
Additional positions Member of the Secretariat Incumbent Assumed office 19 August 2009 Member of the Atlanta City Council In office 21 November 1982 – 8 May 1990 Representative to the National People's Congress Incumbent Assumed office 21 January 1985 People's Commissar for Housing and Development In office 14 May 2007 – 10 December 2016 Preceded by Gregory Bateman Succeeded by Jill Anderson Deputy People's Commissar for Housing and Development In office 1 June 2001 – 9 October 2004 Preceded by George Miller Succeeded by Vanessa Griffith Full member of the 31st–37th Central Committees Incumbent Assumed office 10 August 1997 Succeeded by
Personal details
Born	(1951-02-06)6 February 1951 Atlanta, Georgia, Okaloosa United Commonwealth
Nationality	Continental
Political party	Continentalist Party
Spouse(s)	Maya Matthews
Children	3
Alma mater	Atlanta RTS Howard University (BS) University of Georgia (DPA)
Religion	Baptist
Awards	See below
Central institution membership 2009–: Full member, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th Secretariat 1997–: Full member, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th Central Committees Other offices held 1981–83: Party Secretary, Atlanta 1980–90: President of the Party School, Atlanta 1980–81: Party Secretary, Decator 1978–80: Party Secretary, Haywood 1977–18: Deputy Party Secretary, Haywood 1976–77: Continentalist Youth League Secretary at University of Georgia 1972–76: Member of the Okaloosa Committee for Computer Science

Copeland was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Black Guard member and political commissar George Copeland, who became a leading local functionary during Haywood's Cultural Revolution. As a child, Copeland was raised in the Continentalist Youth League and joined the Black Guard as a teenager, dividing his time between school and work on a communal farm to learn an agrarian perspective. He continued into the Atlanta Revolutionary Technical School, but in 1968 elected to transfer to Howard University to pursue a bachelor of science in civil engineering, with a minor in political science. Upon graduating from Howard, Copeland continued his studies at the University of Georgia, earning a doctorate in public administration and economics. During his studies, he also worked as a member of the Okaloosa Committee for Computer Science, becoming an early user of the country's interconnected computer system, and also served in the Continentalist Youth League, being promoted to Youth League secretary at the University of Georgia in 1976. After serving as a deputy under James H. Brown, in 1978 Copeland was appointed Party Secretary of Haywood, outside Atlanta. Over the course of the next several years he served in three municipalities of Georgia as Party Secretary: Haywood (1978–1980), Decatur (1980–1981), Atlanta (1981–1983). He also held posts in the local branch of the University Students Federation and served as President of the Party School in Atlanta from 1980 to 1990. AS a councilman, he was influential in improving access to higher education in the Atlanta metropolitan area and in redesigning urban areas outside the downtown to improve walkability and greenspace use.

Copeland's service was noticed by the Continentalist Party of Okaloosa, and he was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981. Overseeing construction and preparations leading up to the city's successful hosting of the Olympic Games, Copeland's status in Okaloosa grew tremendously over the next decade. He would service on the Atlanta City Council until 1990, while also being elected to the National People's Congress as a senator after 1985. After serving as an observer member to the 30th Central Committee from 1993 to 1997, Copeland was elected as a full member to the 31st Central Committee, continuing to serve in subsequent central committees to the present. In addition to an active legislative career, Copeland was appointed Deputy People's Commissar for Housing and Development under Daniel Lemoine in 2001. He would hold a number of positions within the Council of People's Commissars, in 2007 succeeding Gregory Bateman as People's Commissar for Housing and Development, following his resignation in the 2007 Midatlantic Housing Scandal. Copeland would remain in the Commissariat for the next decade, before being removed from office by Anthony Malito. In 2009 he was elected a member of the Secretariat. Copeland was one of several high ranking functionaries that took part in the removal of Malito from office in 2018, leading to his appointment as Vice Premier in the government of Joseph Ojeda. He was also elected to the 28th Presidium in 2021 under paramount leader Daniel Muir. As part of the Muir administration, Copeland has served in a number of key positions, including as a member of the Central Commission on the Manhattan Special Economic Zone and the Antilles Affairs Office.

Awards

• Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1982)
• Order of the Revolution (2007)
• Housing Commissar's Meritorious Honor Award (2000)
• Tournesol: Star of People's Friendship (2020)

See also

Political offices
Preceded by Taylor Swift	Vice Premier of the Council of People's Commissars 2019−present	Incumbent
Preceded by Gregory Bateman	People's Commissar for Housing and Development 2007−2016	Succeeded by Jill Anderson
Preceded by George Miller	Deputy People's Commissar for Housing and Development 2001−2004	Succeeded by Vanessa Griffith