Mark passed the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy Examination in 1982, becoming a Registered Pharmacist. From there, he went directly into residential construction and development.

With his brother-in-law, Kevin Kramer, they grew their company, Four Star Homes, into one of the 400 largest residential builders in the United States.

They won several national accolades, including the prestigious Homebuyer’s Warranty Diamond Builder Award for customer service. Mark and Kevin retired from the building industry in 2000.

Mark was named the St. Tammany Parish West Chamber Business Person of the Year in 1992.

Subsequently, Mark practiced pharmacy in Louisiana and in Alabama. He was recognized as a Rite-Aid Pharmacist of the Year three times.

With his brother-in-law, Kevin, they founded a second company, Excel Home Health. They grew the home health services business from Baton Rouge to Slidell, from the Franklinton to Marrero. The company was sold in 2012.

While operating the Home Health Company, Mark re-zoned 77 acres that he co-owned with Kevin, at I-12 and Hwy 190 from Suburban Agriculture to a Planned Unit Development and acquired a U.S. Army Corp of Engineers 404 Wetlands Permit -- thus laying the ground work for what is today Versailles Business Park.