Mark Poliak was appointed President of the Board of Directors in the fall of 2025, having served as Secretary since early 2024. An ISA Certified Arborist and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) professional, he brings more than 40 years of horticultural expertise and strategic leadership to the organization.
Mark’s professional career is rooted with a degree in Urban Forestry from Purdue University. Currently a consultant at Oaktree Landscape & Design, he previously spent nearly four decades at BrightView Landscape (formerly The Brickman Group). His tenure there evolved from field operations into high-level executive roles, including Regional Maintenance Manager and Midwest Snow Manager.
Throughout his career, Mark has directed large-scale construction and maintenance portfolios for premier national brands and iconic Indiana institutions, including:
National Brands: McDonald’s, Sears, and United Airlines.
Indiana Institutions: Eli Lilly and Company, IU Health, and The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
Outside of his professional practice, Mark is an accomplished aviator with over 27 years of experience piloting ultralight and vintage aircraft across the country. He is a respected leader in the Indiana aviation community, having served for a decade as the EAA Chapter President in Westfield, IN, where he continues to volunteer his expertise as a Technical Counselor. Other aviation organizations include Indianapolis Aero Club, Quiet Birdmen and Boone County Pilot Association.