Leadership Highlight – Dan Marro

When it comes to constructing dream homes, you’ve got to have a dream team. That is, an outstanding homebuilding team. The players must have unparalleled talent, knowledge, and decades of experience — just like the superstars on the Preserve Homes & Neighborhoods (PH&N) team. You may have already read about a few key members of this powerhouse contingent, like Division Managers Kevin Popson and Dave Durham. Now we’re proud to introduce you to our Project Manager, Dan Marro, an undeniable MVP at PH&N.

“One of our biggest wins for PH&N was bringing our Project Manager, Dan Marro, on board. …we all knew he was a significant asset. Having him run the day-to-day operations for PH&N was a huge win for us.” – Kevin Popson, Division Manager of Preserve Homes & Neighborhoods

You’ll soon learn why Dan is such an incredible asset, but what really distinguishes him is the fact that he’s not only the PH&N Project Manager, he’s also a PH&N customer. He and his family are building their very own dream home in Bay Creek, our beautiful coastal community on Virginia’s Cape. So, Dan not only talks the talk, he walks the walk — quite literally putting his money where his mouth is.

We recently chatted with Dan to learn more about his decision to join the PH&N dream team, as well as his impressive background, work experience, and notable drive. We even got him to divulge the customized home plan he’s building at Bay Creek right now.

Dan, you went to college in Pennsylvania, so what brought you to the Southeast?

Throughout college, I worked in construction, so I already had established a love for the industry. After graduation, my wife had accepted a teaching position in Atlanta, Georgia. I, of course, followed her and, on the advice of my father-in-law, interviewed with John Wieland Homes. To make a long story short, I got the job and ended up working at there for almost 23 years, eventually becoming the president of their Raleigh-Durham division. But after Pulte purchased John Weiland Homes in 2016, I left the organization to start my own homebuilding business, Dream Shelters. Over five years, we did a lot of great work building custom homes and a few fix-and-flips, too. It was a success, but I was ready for a change.

So what prompted you to join forces with Preserve Homes & Neighborhoods?

Over time, I discovered that I missed working with a close-knit team — particularly my old colleagues at John Weiland Homes. I enjoyed working with Dave Durham and Kevin Popson. Dave was actually my boss for several years. So I already knew these gentlemen were highly accomplished, successful, passionate, and forward-thinking. Joining forces with them to create a brand new homebuilding business was an incredible opportunity — one I couldn’t pass up. I knew I could contribute significantly to the endeavor, so I happily came on board in July of 2021.

What does your role as project manager entail?

I utilize every bit of my 30 years of residential construction experience at PH&N. I personally oversee all the details of each home project. You name it — planning, purchasing, billing, site visits, etc. I’ve established trusted relationships with industry suppliers, contractors, designers, and all the rest to help ensure our customers enjoy an exceptional homebuilding experience. I know that building a custom home is one of the biggest decisions in life, both financially and emotionally, so I strive to make it the best it can be. Open communication and attention to detail are key elements in making it a rewarding and meaningful experience for our clients.

What’s your favorite part of the homebuilding process?

I’m more of a “hands-on” type of guy rather than a “behind the desk” type of guy, although I’ll gladly do both. But, if I had to choose, I’d be on-site every day. I love seeing a home take shape and enjoy interacting with the people making it happen — subcontractors, tradespeople, and especially the clients. It means a lot that they trust me to make their dream home a reality. It’s a high-stakes, high-reward position to be in, but I love it. There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of hearing a client say, “This is perfect. It’s everything I ever wanted.”

From your recent interactions with homebuyers, what are the most popular trends and requested features? More importantly, how is PH&N catering to those requests?

Due to the pandemic, there’s been a historic shift in working remotely. Today, work happens anywhere, not just in the office. So, we’re seeing many people taking advantage of that fact. They’re moving to resort-style communities like Bay Creek and Albemarle Plantation to gain easy access to top-notch amenities. They want to step out of their home office and experience authentic coastal living. They want to play a round of golf, walk on the beach, go boating from their own private marina, hike in a nature preserve, or take a trip into town via their golf cart. And speaking of trends, we’re seeing many homebuyers nix formal dining rooms and opt for sophisticated home offices instead. We’re happy to make that happen and include all the latest technologies to make working from home easy and pleasurable.

What are your hopes for the future of PH&N?

My hope is that we continue to steadily gain momentum and grow while honoring our mission to craft personalized quality homes for discerning buyers. If we can do that, it’ll open the door for even more future homebuyers to discover and enjoy an exceptional lifestyle in Preserve Communities. For me, that’s an exciting prospect.

You’re currently building PH&N homes in Bay Creek and will soon start building in Albemarle Plantation. What are your favorite features in those communities?

I have two favorites at Bay Creek — the Life Center and the long stretch of pristine beach nearby. They’re both fantastic amenities that are impossible to find anywhere else. At Albemarle, my favorites are the private, deep-water marina and the Dockside Café. The full-service marina there is pretty impressive as it’s one of the largest private boat basins on the Eastern Seaboard.

We’ve learned a lot about you and Preserve Homes & Neighborhoods, but would you care to share a fun fact about yourself?

I love the outdoors, especially fishing, playing golf, hiking, biking, and boating. My family loves those activities too. That’s why it made sense for us to make Bay Creek our home. It’s funny — At PH&N, we pride ourselves on creating homes where residents can live, work, and play. I’m actually doing that!

So you not only work at Bay Creek, you live there too. Tell us more about that. And we must know — what home plan did you choose?

We moved to Bay Creek this past July and adore the lifestyle here. We’re currently living in one of Bay Creek Resort’s vacation rentals as we prepare to build our brand new PH&N home. Right now, the home plan we’re leaning toward is The Tidewater but with the additional separate bath upstairs. We hope to have our new house done in about a year — and we can’t wait to make it our home.

Our PH&N team understands those who are rethinking what “home” means today. If you’re one of the many re-evaluating your priorities and considering ways to enhance your quality of life, we can help. A PH&N home offers the unique ability to work, live, and play in an exquisite, purposefully crafted lifestyle community — not just today, but every day. Intrigued? Take a look at the great work Dan and the PH&N team have already started at Bay Creek. If you like what you see, contact us to learn more, or better yet, schedule a tour.

Mark Nay

President, TPC Capital

Mark Nay has been actively working in the financial sector for nearly 40 years, with significant experience in the real estate sector. For the past six years, he has focused exclusively on Residential Real Estate and Development as well as Industrial and Commercial Real Estate. He has held multiple senior leadership roles at various banks over his career, including CEO and President at two regional banks. At Preserve Communities, Mark plays a crucial role as a commercial lender for the company’s various national landholdings.

Mark obtained his Economics degree from Wake Forest University, attended the Graduate School of Banking at LSU, Baton Rouge, LA and obtained his Master of Business Administration in Finance from Kennesaw State University.

Dan Collins

Founding Partner, Collins & Fine Group

For 37 years, Dan has directed innovative marketing, lead generation and lead tracking programs for many of the most prominent and successful luxury resort real estate developers in the world.

Prior to Collins & Fine, Dan co-founded IMI Worldwide Properties in 1991, building a firm that has generated over $9 billion in closed luxury resort real estate sales at some of the most recognized real estate communities in North America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Today, as a Principal Partner in Collins & Fine, Dan continues to re-make the landscape of luxury real estate marketing and sales throughout the industry.

Dan is a University of Georgia graduate, a licensed real estate broker-in-charge and was recognized as a Greenville, SC “Entrepreneur of the Year”. He is a frequent speaker and panelist with groups that focus on trends relating to the luxury real estate sector. Dan resides in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife Reba. Both their children, Russell and Rebecca work for Collins & Fine.

Bruce Fine

Founding Partner, Collins & Fine Group

Bruce is a sales, marketing, and country club management professional with thirty years’ experience on regional, national, and international levels.

Prior to co-founding Collins & Fine in 2020, Bruce was Executive Vice-President of Consulting Services for IMI Worldwide Properties, managing a team of seasoned industry professionals providing sales and marketing consulting services to developers throughout the Southeast.

Bruce has ‘boots on the ground’ experience in literally every aspect of the master-planned community space, including hands-on participation in country club management, community development and operations, Builder Guild programs, HOA Board management, and Architectural Review committees.

Bruce’s community sales and sales management experience include a recent role as Director of Sales and Marketing for The Residences at Four Seasons Anguilla, a condo-hotel project owned by Starwood Capital Group. Other notable sales, marketing and management positions include Director of Sales and Marketing at The Cliffs Communities in Asheville, North Carolina, Director of Sales and Marketing at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, and General Manager at Balsam Mountain Preserve in Jackson County, North Carolina.

A native of South Carolina, Bruce is a die-hard Georgia Bulldog and holds both a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in International Business from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Nikki, reside in Greenville, South Carolina and have two children, David and Emily.

Jennifer Buntin

Vice President of Marketing

Jennifer Fisher-Buntin is the Vice President of Marketing for Preserve Communities. She oversees marketing and communications efforts for the company’s various holdings while also serving as the General Manager for French Broad Crossing and the Preserve at Little Pine, our two active communities near Asheville, NC.

Prior to joining the team in 2018, Jennifer had spent the past 12 years living and working in Lexington, Kentucky. A graduate of Centre College, Jennifer spent 6 years working for Darley America, HRH Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai’s American thoroughbred breeding operation. During her tenure, Jennifer spearheaded the operation’s CRM system (sales database), oversaw local advertising, and managed VIP client hospitality, special events and the farm’s tour program. In 2014, Jennifer joined the marketing team as a manager at Keeneland Race Course, the world’s largest thoroughbred auction house. There she oversaw the advertising needs of the company’s seven business units while also managing the in-house design team. She has extensive experience in advertising agency management and has a passion for digital marketing and analytics.

Jennifer and her family moved to Georgia to be closer to the team in the fall of 2018. She and her husband Michael welcomed their second child in May 2020. She loves hiking, gardening, UGA football, and has previously served as an International Officer for her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi.

Bobby Masters

President

Bobby Masters has been developing and marketing highly amenitized master-planned communities since the mid-1980s. Beginning with Wild Dunes Resort in Charleston, SC and most recently at St. James Plantation in Southport, NC, Bobby has led the development and sales activities at over 15 large communities comprising over 25,000 acres of land, over 30,000 residential homes, and multiple golf courses, clubhouses, aquatic centers, food and beverage outlets, marinas, hospitality operations and homeowner association management.

Having served in an executive role, Bobby has been involved in projects from start to finish, from acquisition to planning and permitting, to construction of infrastructure, to building of homes and condominiums, to overseeing the marketing and sales processes for all products, creating and operating clubs and organizing and managing homeowner associations. He is also the General Manager of the Bay Creek development.

Bobby obtained both an accounting and a law degree from the University of South Carolina and is currently an active member of the South Carolina Bar.

Jeff Coggin

Manager of Preserve South Holdings

With an experienced background in accounting, finance, and tax, Jeff is a highly experienced executive having served in the capacities of Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer throughout career which includes foreign and domestic entities. He served as President/CEO of The SIM Group for over 30 years, which was engaged in several industries, including agriculture, real estate development, home building, golf operations, consulting and management services. SIM represented a derivation of the McDonald Estate (UK) and its related holdings within the US, UK, Switzerland, Spain, Lichtenstein, Panama, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. During his time at SIM, Jeff was responsible for the development of some of the most successful communities in the southeast, including Brickyard Plantation in Charleston, SC, The Golf Club of South Carolina in Florence, SC, and many more. Jeff not only headed up the acquisition and development of these projects but also established and ran a successful homebuilding company that built and sold over 5,000 homes.

Early in his career, Jeff had the opportunity to work with iconic developers, Canal Wood Corporation, Leonard, Call & Taylor, and Snowshoe Resort.

Jeff is the Manager and an Executive Committee member of Preserve South Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Preserve Communities, which owns and manages the East Argent, New Hampstead and West Argent developments. He is also the President of Preserve Homes & Neighborhoods.

Jeff holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of South Carolina. During his career, he has provided oversight and management of McDonald Estate international holdings, operating entities and related trusts. He has also been responsible for facilitating philanthropic grants to worldwide charities for children and educational institutions.

David Brannon

Executive Vice President Land Planning

David has been working with founder Jack Fisher for over 18 years, envisioning, planning and designing Preserve Communities projects from the mountains to the coast. He has a keen sense of awareness of the finely tuned balances of interests necessary to create special places that honor the integrity of the land—yet also give rise to innovative planning and development practices that ultimately offer all of the features to community stakeholders that make Preserve Communities developments stand out from the ordinary.

David founded his own design company, Site Rhythms, which functions as Preserve Communities’ in-house design firm. Prior to that, beginning in 1995, David worked with Wood & Partners and Land Design, Inc, two of the country’s most respected land planning and landscape architecture firms. That experience enabled David to be involved in planning major communities throughout the southeast and garnered him valued “hand’s on” time working with major developers in building many iconic communities.

David holds a B.S. in Landscape Architecture from Clemson University.

Andrew Marriner

Senior Vice President Finance

Andrew Marriner is a Senior Management Executive and former “Big-4 CPA” with broad-based financial management, technology, and operations management experience. For the last seven years, Andrew served as the VP, Finance & Chief Operating Officer for the Sterling Planet Holdings Group of companies. The Sterling brand included Sterling Planet, Inc., a four-time award winner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Supplier of the Year, and Sterling Energy Assets, Inc., a developer of more than $300 million in renewable energy power projects. Prior to joining Sterling, Andrew served as the Chief Financial Officer for a Retail Energy Provider in the Deregulated Energy Markets after leaving Hillwood Development Group, a Perot Company, where he co-led the organization through several financial initiatives including preparation for a public offering. Andrew started his financial career as an auditor and consultant with the E&Y Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group of Ernst & Young LLP.