Scott is an award-winning developer, commercial and residential property manager, Realtor, and a class “A” licensed contractor known for his sustainable building and construction practices. Scott has lived in Charlottesville since 1989.
Before joining Ace, Scott spent many years at the helm of Abbott & Company, a commercial and residential building firm. In 2013, they received the Earth Craft Virginia Newbie Builder of the Year award for 608 Belmont Ave in Charlottesville, a property with a 30 HERS rating and ranked as the #4 Most Efficient Home in Virginia.
Scott’s certifications include the Earth Craft Certification Program for Green Building and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Certified Remodeler designation. He’s personally served as project manager and/or site superintendent for over 35 large-scale projects, including the Phase I assisted living facility project of Rosewood Village at Wintergreen in Nellysford, Virginia.
After years of running his firm, Scott connected with Geoff Pitts, who was actively looking for partners to join Ace. He seemed a natural fit and has been since joining Ace in 2018.
“Sense of humor is key in this outfit, and we try not to take ourselves too seriously,” Scott says. “Let other companies compete on who can be the most pretentious as a means to capture ever-more expensive work. We honor the art of this noble trade, but life is short. We want ourselves and our men in the field to enjoy coming to work. Our staff is not a means to an end, but the end itself.”
Today, Scott remains grateful for his decision to merge his one-man shop with the healthy and collaborative team effort at Ace. Though building a house can be stressful no matter what, he says, a sense of humor and joyful work culture will get you to the finish line with a smile.
Mark is a long-time designer and creative collaborator for worldwide entertainment and industrial building projects. He’s known for bringing a client’s vision to life while managing the technical challenges and harnessing the poetic opportunities inherent to every venue.
Before joining Ace, Mark spent 30 years designing productions for opera houses, theaters, arenas, found space, museums, and architectural projects in the United States and around the globe. Across decades and continents, he led crews of fifteen to one hundred people to harness new technology and create state-of-the-art productions and visual effects.
When the pandemic stopped the entertainment industry, Mark obtained several related construction licenses to explore fine homebuilding and architecture. His second passion for which he’d had very little time. At Ace, he found a group of genuine, heart-led people committed to their trade and met Geoff, Jim, and Scott for the love of it. In exchange for intellectual, artistic, and design-driven ideas, Mark found kindred spirits at Ace. He joined the company in February 2021 as a partner who shared his delight in generative collaboration and creating remarkable, world-class structures.
He remains committed to continuing Ace’s integrity, passion, and technical artistic excellence.
Mark and his family have lived in Charlottesville for over two decades. He and his wife, Theresa, have two children currently in college.
