CEO
Glenmark Holding Limited Liability Company
Photo by Rebecca Devono.
By Samantha Cart
According to Mark Nesselroad, CEO of Glenmark Holding LLC, the most adventurous thing he has ever done is go into business.
“When you have no money and you want to borrow a couple million dollars, it takes a lot of convincing,” he says.
An entrepreneur at heart, Nesselroad’s competitive nature pushed him to take the plunge. He began his first venture into business in 1984 when he purchased a nursing home in Parkersburg, but this was merely the foundation for what he would go on to achieve. By 1995, he had founded and grown Glenmark Associates, Inc. into the largest nursing home company in West Virginia.
“If you work hard, you can do and make anything you want,” he says. “I started out as a maintenance man in a nursing home and worked my way up to vice president of Crossgates. Arthur Schwotzer, the owner, provided me inspiration, guidance and latitude to learn and make mistakes. I wanted to become an owner, but I realized the only way I could own my own company was to start Glenmark in Morgantown.”
A Morgantown native, Nesselroad has lived in the college town for most of his life, and he has used his impressive business background to make a profound impact on his community. Under his care, Glenmark developed Monongalia County’s first retail power center, led the revitalization effort of Morgantown’s Sabraton area, was the first major player in the Wharf District’s renaissance and developed a state-of-the-art on-campus residence hall and apartment complex in partnership with West Virginia University to replace outdated student housing. Since 1996, Glenmark Holding LLC and its affiliates and subsidiaries have developed or managed over 1.7 million square feet of property and been responsible for more than $300 million of construction and property development.
Nesselroad believes hard work, honesty and a firm belief in God and helping others have had the greatest influence on his success, and his integrity and love of community translate into everything he does. He serves on a variety of nonprofit boards and gives of his time and money to several Morgantown schools and charities. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors, executive committee and chair of the risk committee for United Bankshares, Inc. and as a member of the board of directors, executive committee and chairman of the finance committee for the West Virginia United Health System, Inc. Nesselroad is the recipient of Mylan Park Foundation’s 2008 Mylan Puskar Award, Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Earl L. Core Award and the 2016 George R. Farmer Jr. Award for his community leadership, vision and service.
“Charitable contribution is a very private part of my life but an important part of what our family does and strongly believes in,” he says. “I try to inspire others to contribute as they can by offering their time and talents to our communities, schools, churches and caring organizations.”
Most notably, his vision for the Morgantown area led to the creation of Mylan Park, a community nonprofit recreation and education campus that is currently the largest event venue in North Central West Virginia, where Nesselroad served as board president for nine years and is a current board member.
“I have been very fortunate to be a part of that dream,” says Nesselroad. “If we can continue to provide a park that gives education and recreational opportunities to all members of our community, we will succeed with our mission.”
At the end of the day, Nesselroad cannot imagine utilizing his time and talent anywhere but West Virginia.
“A lot of folks told us we could never be successful in West Virginia, but we never listened to them,” he says. “Over 30 years, we have built businesses in West Virginia that have and continue to employ hundreds of people. In simple words, we have helped our state and its people be successful just as they have helped us. Everything I am is a result of being a West Virginian.”
1975 Hired as a maintenance man for Crossgates, Inc.
1984 Co-founded Glenmark Associates, Inc. and purchased The Willows Nursing Home
1995 Glenmark Associates, Inc. became the largest nursing home company in WV
1997 Began developing Glenmark Centre, the first large-scale retail power center in Monongalia County
2000 Named board president of Mylan Park Foundation, Inc.
2001 Received Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Visionary of the Year Award
2002 Received WV Governor’s Service Award
2004 Named board director of West Virginia United Health System, Inc.
2008 Received Mylan Park Foundation, Inc.’s Milan Puskar Award
2015 Completed public-private partnership with WVU for University Park
2016 Received the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s Earl L. Core Award
2016 Received Mylan Park Foundation Inc.’s inaugural George R. Farmer, Jr. award
