Many of you know Mark Rengel as our long-standing Vice President of Development at The Menkiti Group who has been with the company for over a decade. A few things that many of you don’t know is that his lifelong dream is to drive a Zamboni, he currently composes on the piano and drums, and he discovered his love for architecture from his uncle over a Thanksgiving trip! To learn more about Mark, how he came to MG, his love for architecture, and more, keep reading!
How Mark came to MG
Mark’s journey to MG began at a Notre Dame Alumni Softball tournament where he met Jennifer Frewer. Jen introduced Mark to her husband Simon during a game, and they quickly became friends. Later, Bo Menkiti joined the softball team and the three of them became close friends, eventually realizing they had the same interests in architecture, development, and real estate. Fast forward to a game of poker when Bo let Simon and Mark know he wanted to show them his very first project and they headed there the following morning. Everyone playing poker decided to help Bo fix up the house by sweeping the floors and doing light paint touch-ups so his first open house would go well. In the long run, Bo’s first open house led to a string of others that guided him to the creation of The Menkiti Group in 2004. When Bo began to take on larger development projects at The Menkiti Group, he reached out to his trusted old friend Mark Rengel and asked for assistance with the development. In 2011, Mark began working for Bo full-time, and the rest is history.
Mark’s love for architecture
One thing Mark is incredibly passionate about is his love for architecture which began at the age of 13. While traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday, he visited his Uncle Steve who worked in architecture in Minneapolis where he constructed buildings in the city. During the trip, his uncle unveiled his newest development project, and then later brought Mark to the development site so he could see it for himself.
The building’s rendering was painted from the exact angle of the building that Mark was standing at when he visited, and he knew this would one day be his professional calling. This surreal moment showed Mark that architecture and real estate development not only impact individuals, but they impact the communities in such a big way. His passion to be part of the positive impact on neighborhoods is what motivates Mark for each of his projects at The Menkiti Group and really came to fruition during the development process for the Early Childhood Academy (ECA).
With this project, the original plan was that The Menkiti Group was going to develop multi-family homes, but when a banking executive who served on the DC Public Charter School Board connected the ECA with the development team, they came up with a plan to build the school where the multi-family homes were going to go. The ECA needed a permanent school building that they could own instead of rent, so the plan worked out for both parties. Mark was so excited about this proposition that he went back to the office and began working on schematics immediately. From being a 13-year-old, standing in awe at the base of an impressive buildings, to being able to help secure a permanent brick and mortar building for the ECA, Mark’s biggest motivator at his job has always been aligned with mission statement of the Menkiti Group of transforming lives, careers, and communities through real estate.
Who is Mark outside of work?
Mark is a leader in the office who strives to set a positive example for others, and nothing changes when he steps out the door to go home for the day. He aims to be a leader to his two sons, Max and Luke, and loves coaching their little league and hockey teams. Mark’s family is one of his biggest motivators as he strives to be a great dad and a wonderful husband, and he seeks to show his sons how to be leaders by guiding them to also serve their community. His drive to serve is what has brought him to many adventures, some of which include serving in the United States Air Force for 4 years, being the project manager on multiple projects in his previous role at an architecture firm, and leading development projects at The Menkiti Group as the Vice President of Development for 11 years!
