Mark Hall
Mark is a 29-year resident of Suisun Valley. With the help of Steve, Daryll, and Chad Tenbrink, Mark currently grows Walnuts, Apples, and Citrus on his 31-acre “Dove Nest” ranch located along Gordon Valley Road. He personally designed and built his home and production buildings on the Dove Nest Ranch, which is an ongoing, never-ending passion project. Mark is a lifelong entrepreneur with varied interests in commercial real estate, hotels, sports training, and sports technology with an emphasis on soccer, prefabricated modular manufactured buildings, food and beverage, and of course, agriculture.
Tamara Gerlach
Tamara (“Tam”) moved to the Dove Nest Ranch in Suisun Valley with her husband, Mark, during the pandemic in 2020. Before that, she spent 33 years in Martinez, where she lived on a 172-acre family ranch in Franklin Canyon. A lifelong entrepreneur with a passion for wellness and community, Tam has dedicated her career to creating businesses that inspire connection, growth, and joy. She has supported generations of youth through Encore Gymnastics in Walnut Creek, which she has proudly owned since 1989. Most recently, Tam and Mark partnered with Dorene Adams to bring Wild Oak Wellness to life at Manka’s Corner, a space for health, healing, and lifelong learning. When she’s not connecting with people in the community, you’ll often find Tam hiking local trails, baking sourdough, dancing just about anywhere, or getting her hands in the garden.
James George
James is a passionate local designer, born and raised in Gordon Valley, whose firm, James George Designs, has proudly served this community for over 24 years. He has worked with Mark Hall for more than 25 years, beginning with the design of Mark’s home at Dove Nest Ranch on Gordon Valley Road.
Mary Laux
Mary is the Vice President of Entitlements, at Mark’s Company, Hall Equities Group. With over 20 years of experience as a senior land use planner and entitlement specialist, she has extensive expertise guiding teams through every stage of the development process, including due diligence, planning and design, entitlements, and permitting for residential, hospitality, and mixed-use projects across California. As project manager, Mary will serve as the primary point of contact, working closely with County staff and ensuring that project needs are met at every stage—from initial visioning through to implementation.
Jacob Hall
Born and raised in Suisun Valley, Jacob has witnessed its transformation from a quaint farming community into one of California’s premier viticulture regions. With experience in both the local wine and farming industries, as well as with his family’s business, he brings a unique blend of expertise from these diverse sectors to help shape and elevate the vision for what can be created here.
Jeffrey Chiu
Jeffrey is a local fire protection engineer at Jensen Hughes who lives in Concord, with extensive experience providing fire and life safety code consulting, system design, and plan reviews for projects throughout California. He specializes in supporting commercial, residential, and public sector developments with fire protection solutions tailored to California’s stringent codes and standards. As Fire Protection Engineer, he works closely with agency staff and project teams to guide fire and life safety strategies from initial design through implementation, serving as the key day-to-day contact to ensure regulatory compliance and project success.
Dan Germain
Dan is a licensed architect with over 18 years of experience and has designed a wide variety of buildings throughout the Bay Area. As the Master Project Designer, enterprise wide, for all of Mark Hall’s varied business interests, he both leads the design efforts of outside third party design consultants as well as manages the work of numerous in-house designers and engineers from concept through construction. With a strong commitment to sustainable design, Dan integrates innovative, eco-friendly solutions that enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and create lasting value for the community.
Dave Thomas
Dave has been with Hall Equities Group for 35 years, bringing extensive experience as an in-house Construction Manager overseeing all aspects of projects throughout Northern California. His responsibilities span from initial bidding and pre-construction budget planning to project control, design coordination, value engineering, and managing the construction of diverse building types. He’s excited to contribute his deep expertise to Manka’s Meadows.
Dianne Gress
Dianne was born and raised in the Bay Area and has spent a lot of time in Suisun Valley over the years. With over 20 years of experience in property management, she’ll ensure smooth operations to make Manka’s everyone’s new favorite spot!
Paul Giacalone
Paul is a construction professional with over 30 years of experience in engineering, project management, and design. A Bay Area native, he began his career in 1995 as a Foreman for Giacalone Electrical Services, specializing in joint trench utility installations across Northern and Central California. He later advanced into estimating and project management roles, and in 1999 became a co-owner of Giacalone Design Services, Inc. For the past 21 years, Paul has partnered closely with clients to guide projects from forward planning and design through construction and installation. His extensive knowledge of the full construction process has been a key asset in ensuring successful project outcomes.
Peter Ex
Peter is a State of California Registered Environmental Health Specialist with over 30 years of experience in the field. He specializes in designing onsite wastewater treatment systems tailored to unique site conditions and project goals. Over the course of his career, Peter has worked for more than two decades in County Environmental Health and Building Departments and has spent the last 10 years as an independent consultant. Based in Napa, California, and originally from Benicia, he provides services across numerous counties throughout the Northern Bay Area. With a strong focus on practical, site-specific solutions, Peter brings both technical expertise and a deep understanding of regulatory requirements to every project.
Joe Dillon
Joe is a former U.S. Army demolitions expert who has worked alongside Mark Hall for more than 33 years in a wide range of capacities. A highly skilled craftsman and problem solver, he brings expertise in carpentry, mechanics, electrical, and plumbing work—serving as an all-around “do-it-all” professional whose versatility and dedication make him an indispensable member of the team. Over the decades, Joe’s commitment, skill, and reliability have made him not just a trusted colleague, but part of the family.
Mike McGwire
Mike is a longtime Suisun Valley resident whose better half, Wendy DeCoito, operates the Suisun Valley Filling Station. Known for his exceptional versatility and deep knowledge of the building trades, Mike is one of the most resourceful and capable local talents imaginable. With hands-on expertise across a wide range of construction and tradecraft disciplines, he brings craftsmanship, problem-solving, and a can-do spirit to every project he undertakes.
Rick Ghirardo
Rick has been a valued member of Mark Hall’s business organization for over 38 years, contributing across a wide spectrum of ventures and responsibilities. His experience spans construction and real estate development, sports technology operations, and facilities management—having even served several years as Chief of Facilities Maintenance for Mark’s hotel company, overseeing properties across 23 states. Today, Rick serves as Superintendent for the Suisun Valley area properties, where he leads our on-site team, coordinating both in-house staff and third-party contractors to ensure the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and care across all projects.