Mark Van Cooney

College is typically the time when most people discover a passion or a career. The same was true for Mark, except the lightbulb didn’t happen during a class or lecture. While pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Mark worked as a valet parker at a nearby hotel exposing him to the hospitality industry. That’s when his love affair with the hotel business began.

After college Mark moved around quite a bit and lived in Hilton Head, Atlanta, Palm Springs, Miami, Los Angeles and San Diego, which helped prepare him well for a career at Evolution. Working in operations, Mark gets to experience many sides of the industry and admits he enjoys the lifestyle aspect of it. “Hospitality is fun,” Mark said. “We aren’t saving lives, and we don’t take ourselves too seriously.” When not having fun at work, Mark enjoys playing golf or spending time with his family. A proud father of two (son Dane and daughter Kylie), he loves taking family trips and exposing his kids to new places and of course, new hotels.

Always the optimist, Mark’s favorite Guiding Principle is “Do everything with gratitude and humility.”