By Monty Siekerman
Mark Bricker, who installed the Heritage Gardens at the governor's mansion in Bexley, is the new grounds manager at ONU.

After receiving his bachelor of science degree in landscape horticulture, he became nursery manager for the City of Columbus where he supervised the annual planting of 3,000 trees throughout the city streets.

He then installed the Heritage Gardens, which consist of native Ohio plants. From there he became grounds manager for a private estate in Dayton.

He is now the ONU/Sodexo grounds manager, responsible for the planting and care of trees and flowers, the grass, and snow removal on the 360-acre campus.

Prior to his landscape degree and gardening experience, he served seven years in the Army as part of special operations with three years in the ranger battalion and four years as the senior demolition sergeant for a Special Forces ‘A’ Team.

His Special Forces Team successfully reclaimed the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait in 1991.

He and his wife Holly are the parents of two sons, both college students.