Mark Gilson is President of Gilson Gardens, Inc., a third-generation nursery and garden center in Perry, Ohio.  Located in the historic Lake County nursery region, Gilson Gardens was founded in 1947 and is currently owned and operated by Mark and his wife, Kristine.

Mark grew up in the business and also worked for a landscape company in Bexley, Ohio and a wholesale greenhouse in Colorado.  Holding Bachelor’s Degrees from both The Ohio State University (English, 1974) and Lake Erie College (Accounting, 1980), Mark also spent three years with Grant Thornton, an international certified public accounting firm. Mark holds the Ohio Certified Nursery Technician - Grower certification.

He currently sits on the board of directors for the Ohio Invasive Plant Council, OSU Extension-Lake County, and the Perry Joint Economic Development District.