Taking the Hernando Helm
Considering how much Mark has given to
this community, it was no surprise when
he was selected as the new Hernando
de Soto during Bradenton’s 2019 De Soto
Heritage Festival. “Being elected to serve
as Hernando de Soto for the 80th year of
this organization is a tremendous honor,”
Mark says.
“As Hernando, I along with my Queen,
Langston Sellars, my Captain, Steve Covey,
and Princess, Claire Strickland, will have the
opportunity to be ambassadors of Manatee
County at many festivals throughout the
U.S. and Canada. We will also have the
honor of representing Bradenton in its sister
city, Barcarrota, Spain.”
Mark was first invited to join the De Soto
Historical Society in 1989 by his good
friend, Russ Kitching. “It was an honor to
be invited, and I soon became involved as
a float driver, crew member, and served
on various committees and the board
of directors for many years,” he says,
adding how important the Society is for
local charities. “Many people don’t realize
the service hours that the members give,
and the many charitable organizations
that their events are able to support
throughout the year.”
Strong Roots in Manatee
Although Mark and Joan are not originally
from Manatee County, they have lived
here for decades and consider it home.
Born in New Jersey, Mark moved here
with his family in 1972. Joan was born in
Michigan and moved to the area with her
parents in 1976.
After attending college and getting
married, the couple came back to Manatee
County and started their family. Joan was
a stay at home mother of three children,
and Mark soon became an entrepreneur.
“As part owner of the weekly newspaper
The Manateean, he expanded our
business to include community telephone
directories and newsletters,” says Joan,
who joined him in the business when their
children started school. Together, they
have run a successful business for the
past 37 years.
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and our seven grandchildren are very
special to us,” says Mark.
Joan also enjoys exercising and Mark
has a fondness for classic cars - but
volunteering seems to be the couple’s
favorite hobby. “We feel that most people
don’t realize that by volunteering, you get
so much fulfillment out of it personally,”
says Joan. “We also think our involvement
in the community was a good inspiration for
our children, and now our grandchildren,
many of whom are also very involved in
volunteering their time.”
Today, the couple still lives in Palmetto.
“We like the small town feel of Palmetto,
and this is where our business, On Trac
Publishing, is also located,” explains Joan.
“Manatee County has been a wonderful
area to raise our family and establish our
roots. And we like the tropical climate and
sunshine that is so appealing in Florida.”
Obviously, running a business and
volunteering takes up the vast majority
of Joan and Mark’s time. When they do
have some downtime, the couple enjoys
reading, traveling, and spending time with
family. “Our three children, their spouses,