Chief Operating Officer and Chief Legal Officer, Glenmark Holding LLC, and Broker, Black Diamond Realty LLC
By Kevin Duvall
Mark Nesselroad has deep-lying roots in Morgantown, WV. It’s where he was born and raised, and it’s where he has built a successful career as an executive, lawyer and commercial real estate broker.
Growing up on West Run Road, just up the hill from his father’s parents, Nesselroad spent a lot of time with family and playing sports. “We were a very competitive household in everything—sports, academics, games and life,” he says. “My mother coached me and my sister in soccer, little league and softball, and my father coached us both in basketball. Sports were definitely a family passion, and my parents encouraged us to be active and competitive.”
Nesselroad credits his parents with the success he has achieved. “My mom’s intellect, love, competitive spirit and devotion made me and my sister the people we are today,” he says. “My dad amazingly juggled the demands of business, entrepreneurship and being a devoted husband and father. The admiration and pride I have for him as a person are unmatched.”
From an early age Nesselroad dreamed of being a businessman and entrepreneur like his father and working alongside him in the family business, Glenmark Holding LLC, and he began working toward that goal in high school. As a teenager, his summers consisted of mowing grass, operating a weed eater and performing demolition work for Glenmark. He graduated from Davidson College with a degree in economics and from West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law with his Juris Doctor, after which he worked as an attorney in Steptoe & Johnson’s business law department. In 2012, he received his MBA from the WVU College of Business & Economics and transitioned to working for Glenmark full time.
Today, Nesselroad serves as the chief operating officer and chief legal officer of Glenmark and the broker and co-owner of Black Diamond Realty LLC, Glenmark’s affiliated commercial real estate brokerage firm.
“Every day I do my best to soak up and learn as much as I can from my father and contribute my skills to the team,” he says. “Guiding the daily operations and developing the growth of the company while conferring regularly with my father regarding current developments and future plans and strategies is a dream come true.”
When he’s not planning the next step for Glenmark and Black Diamond, Nesselroad is looking toward the future of his community. “It is really second nature to give back,” he says. “It is something I have witnessed by many leaders in our community, and these people are a testament to why Morgantown is such a special place. Morgantown is full of hardworking citizens, and we all want the best for our families, businesses and associations.”
Nesselroad serves in a variety of roles, including chairman of the board for the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce and member of the Morgantown Area Economic Partnership board of directors. Crediting being a student-athlete with teaching him important life skills, he is particularly committed to service that helps young people, which is evident in his role as treasurer of the board of directors for Morgantown High School (MHS) Foundation, Inc. and coach for WesMon Little League.
“As an MHS alumnus, it is incredibly rewarding to give back and support an organization with a mission to foster and enhance academic opportunities for students,” he says. “As a youth sports coach, I am passionate about the positive influence athletics has on kids, and I get to spend time bonding and having fun with my son and daughter and teaching them and their peers lifelong skills.”
Despite being a corporate leader in a variety of successful businesses, Nesselroad considers his greatest success that of raising his children with his wife, Lauren.
“They are, without a doubt, my pride and joy,” he says. “I am driven to be the best I can be to set an example for them and lay the groundwork for them to be in the best position for success in their own lives.”
