Staff

Brad's journey is as dynamic as the cars and employees for which he advocates. Born in Alliance, Ohio, he moved to West Frankfort, Illinois, in 1981.  A Frankfort Community High School graduate (Class of '87), Brad's academic path took him from John A. Logan College to SIU-C, where he earned a B.S. in Political Science with a minor in Psychology in 1991, setting the stage for a career built on connecting with people.

Since 1992, Brad has been a part of Marion's automotive scene, climbing the ranks at the Ford Hyundai Lincoln dealership-from salesperson to body shop manager to sales manager and to general manager. His hands-on approach and knack for leadership led him to partner with Mike Absher in 2013 when Nissan of Marion became part of the Watermark Auto Group family. In 2019, his dedication and vision were rewarded when he was named President of the Watermark Auto Group, all while continuing to drive success at Watermark Ford Hyundai and Watermark Nissan of Marion.

When the showroom lights dim, Brad can be found in one of two places, on the golf course or with his family. Married to his best friend, Melanie, since 1991, their partnership has been marked by shared values and lifelong commitment. Melanie, whose career as an English teacher inspired countless students-from her early days in Cobden Unit School District 17 to her long tenure at Marion High School-retired in 2019, leaving behind a legacy of dedication to her students. Their daughter, Mackenzie Poole, MD, MBA, is now making waves in the medical field, completing a dermatology residency at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

Whether on the lot, on the course, or at home, Brad's story is one of hard work, genuine connections, and a commitment to excellence-both in business and in life.

David was born and raised in Marion.  His first job in the car business was at age 16 sweeping the shop and washing cars at Absher Motors and he continued to work there throughout college.  After graduating from Millikin University, David moved to St. Louis, worked at the Federal Reserve Bank and earned his MBA from St. Louis University.  In 2007, he moved back to Marion and helped start Easy Street, the in-house finance company at Watermark. Along with that role, he now oversees the accounting, financial reporting, HR and IT operations for the company.  David has two sons - Jake and Josh. Jake is a student at the University of Southern Indiana and Josh attends Marion High School.  David and his boys are huge baseball fans and are on a quest to visit all the Major League parks!

Juan Pablo, or JP as everyone calls him at the office, was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia (South America). He recently immigrated to the U.S. with his wife and two kids, and settled down in Marion. Although officially employed with Watermark since October, 2015, he has been developing software for the company since 2012, and has worked with Mike since around 2001.Officially licensed as an Industrial Engineer, JP has worked with software throughout his career, and did his MBA with an emphasis in MIS. He was also recognized by Microsoft as a Most Valuable Professional for Microsoft Excel, an award given to less than 100 people around the world.He loves to travel, a passion he shares with his wife, photography, technology and spending time with his family.

Sarah is originally from West Frankfort, Illinois but moved to Marion in 2013. Sarah started her career in the car business at Watermark Ford Hyundai of Marion in 2005. She has had many roles within a dealership and is now processing warranty claims for the group. Sarah always has one goal in mind, customer satisfaction. Sarah is an outstanding person and employee. She and husband, Chris, have a daughter, Marley. 

Joann is originally from Marion.  She started with Watermark Ford of Marion in 2004 in the Business Development Center, but has now joined the accounting office. Joann always tries to maintain an optimistic attitude. When she isn't here, she is spending time with her daughter Jessi and her grandson Grayson.

Stephanie is from right here in Marion, born and raised.  She has worked previously at one of our dealerships and is now a title clerk in our accounting department.  Stephanie enjoys watching movies and musicals and likes to read.  She also loves watching her nephews play baseball and basketball.  Stephanie has three cats, Theo, Baxter and Charlie!

Todd was born in Minnesota but spent most of his childhood here in Marion, IL and now resides in Herrin with his wife Sherry and their daughters Harper & Quinn. Todd has been with us since 2006 and represents the male population in the accounting office. Todd is the calming presence in the office. Every now and then we have to check his pulse to make sure he is still with us. When Todd isn't here at work, he is either reading, rooting for the Twins, or playing with his two daughters, Harper & Quinn.

Charisa was born in Cape Girardeau, MO., but considers Paducah to be her home.  After graduating high school, she took almost two years off and traveled from coast to coast. She ended up back in Paducah and went to Murray State University; while there, she threw javelin for the track team. After graduating, Charisa moved out to Los Angeles before finding her way back to this area again. In 1999, she was selling advertising when she was offered a sales position at then, Bluegrass Honda, and she has been here since. She has worn many hats over the years from sales, back-up F&I, IT, Customer Service Manager, BMW Service Manager and now Director of Digital Marketing. Charisa and her husband, Brent, who is a UPS driver / throws coach, have 2 boys, Zach - who graduates this spring 2023 from Illinois State University. While there, he threw Javelin and Hammer for their Track & Field Team, placing 4th in the Missouri Valley Conference in Javelin. He is now a D3 Javelin coach and will attend Logan University in St. Louis this fall to become a Dr. of Chiropractic. Their youngest son, Ben, also a thrower, is a 5x All-American, State Champion in Shot & Discus, holds the all-time Kentucky high school record for Weight throw & Hammer throw, and is currently ranked 18th in the country in Hammer throw. He is attending the University of Cincinnati and throws for their track team. He is studying Physical Therapy. 

Carri joins from nearby Herrin.  She has over 22 years of experience in the car business.  Carri stays busy at home taking her son, Austin and daughter, Madelyn, to do all of their activities AND.. she still finds time to scrapbook.  We are glad to have Carri here on our team!

Andrew has been with Watermark since 2012 and moved into his full-time IT role in 2015.  Since that time, Andrew has led multiple Information Technology efforts, including upgrades to our networks and internet reliability as well as our security environment.  Andrew spearheaded the implementation of our phone system and our help desk ticket system.  Andrew is the go-to person for any technical issue, supporting 275 employees at six locations.  He is always ready to help and works countless hours supporting us all.  2020 has been particularly interesting and busy for Andrew due to all of the support required for our remote work environment.  Throughout the year, Andrew has received a great deal of positive feedback.  He is responsive and has vast technical knowledge.  Andrew exemplifies the Watermark Ethos by taking initiative to keep us on the cutting edge of technology, by acting quickly to solve problems, and by embracing great responsibility in his daily efforts to keep us all working.