CO-FOUNDERS

Mark was born in Southern California and discovered his love for sales at the age of eight. He began by going door-to-door in his neighborhood, selling holiday cards and newspapers. As he grew older, he expanded his entrepreneurial efforts to landscaping contracts and spa and swimming pool service agreements. Mark consistently ranked among the highest fundraisers for local Little League and school events. He also worked summer jobs at a local restaurant and at Santa Clarita Water Company, where he learned to repair large underground utility and water leaks.

Later, Mark worked as a sales representative and installer for a local solar and HVAC contractor. At the age of eighteen, while pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he became a licensed contractor and founded a solar and HVAC business, "SolAir," which grew into a multi-million-dollar company. After five successful years, Mark sold the business for a significant profit.

Mark reinvested his profits into a general contracting business focused on building new homes and completing government construction projects for NASA Dryden (now NASA Neil Armstrong Flight Research Center) at Edwards Air Force Base. The engineering design group at NASA offered Mark a permanent position, where he managed the high-voltage electrical, HVAC, and cryogenic refrigeration departments for testing space shuttle components at ultra-low temperatures. He later received an engineering position at NASA Ames Research Center in Northern California, where he led the design, planning, and programming of the full computer monitoring and automation of the Steam Co-Generation facility and was responsible for its integration into NASA’s existing Facility Monitoring and Control System (FMCS) computer network for the entire NASA Ames campus. 

After 23 years working on Government Science Research and Development projects, Mark wanted to make an extreme change to his career and experience the Venue and Resort Hospitality Business. So, Mark took an Engineering position at Pebble Beach Resorts in Carmel, California. Where he worked on their Lodge Net Computer Automation system. He also was exposed to ALL other facets of the Venue, Resort and Event Hospitality industry. Mark was always bewildered by how Pebble Beach Resorts could sell out their rooms that were renting out from $800.00/night through $5,000.00/night.  Pebble Beach Resorts primary target market was group, event, and conference travelers.  Frequently, this resort would sell out all of their many meeting and conference rooms., so they would install large event tents outside on the property to accommodate the high demand and benefit financially from the same.  These Events created a Monopoly for the resort.  Event attendees preferred to stay in one of the resort's expensive rooms that were only a few steps away from the event instead of a long drive to offsite accommodations.   This was the greatest asset that Mark took away from working at Pebble Beach Resorts. JAS Fest Properties uses this proven strategy to drive its business model. Mark also met many big names within the Event Management, Entertainment and Production Industries while at Pebble Beach Resorts.  These meetings inspired Mark to make another big change to his Career. 

After over 20 years living within the Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay Areas, Mark moved his family back to Southern California where Mark worked as a Manager for Studio Air (founded by the late Gordon Webb, best known for his Production work on Ghost Busters, Six Days Seven Nights, Mission Impossible and many more).  At Studio Air, Mark expanded his knowledge of the Event Business...while experiencing all facets of Television and Feature Film Production Sets, that included planning for and calculating temporary power, lighting, and climate loads for the cast and crews, etc.  Combined with some casting roles and some production classes that Mark took at UCLA, Mark had the opportunity to experience and absorb all aspects of TV and Feature Film Production. Mark realized that Events, Conferences, Meetings, and Group/Business Travel Industries are very analogous to, and significantly overlap with the Television, Film and Entertainment Production Industries. However, the greatest asset Mark gained, while working at Studio Air, and while performing as a cast member in commercial advertisements and television productions, was the opportunity to increase his network of existing and prospective clients/venders/referrals among the many Production Set Location Managers, Producers, Directors, Cast and Crew Members that Mark had the opportunity to meet. 

While still living in Southern California, Mark received another Job opportunity to work at Space Exploration Corporation, "SPACE X", to play with Rockets at Vandenburg Space Force Base.  While there, Mark was able to improve, fine tune, and perfect his Project Management and Business Management skills even more.  

Since the year 2001, Mark had also co-founded several companies that perform continual research, development, on new/existing clean, economical, high efficiency power generation and cooling technologies.  Mark has also consulted and educated/certified many professionals on the same. While Mark was still serving on the Space X Team, he was asked by a previous friend and business client (who is suffering from serious health issues, including dementia), to help him save his organic farm from being foreclosed upon (that was in Bankruptcy).  Hence, Mark saw an opportunity to significantly increase the Farm's revenue stream by renting and leasing out wasted space on the Farm for Events, Multi-Day Training Classes, Meetings, Overnight Accommodations (including Airbnb and Camping), etc. Mark could not turn his friend down and reject his call for help. So, Mark moved his family back up to the Monterey Bay area and they launched JAS Fest Properties that successfully generated significant extra revenue for the Farm. Due to JAS Fest Properties extreme success, Mark and his Family have realized that it was time to expand its successful services to be available to even greater venues, resorts and even cruise lines.