Q: How many people does it take to change the lightbulbs at Gardner Village?
A: With tens of thousands of bulbs outside alone, you’d think it would take an army, but the reality is it’s a small crew of talented people who keeps The Village looking lovely.
Say hello to the Property Management Team at Gardner Village!
This hard working crew is made up of combination of seasoned employees who’ve worked for The Village for years, newer recruits, and even college students who lend a needed hand during their summer breaks.
Dave Koncar, the property manager, heads up this remarkable bunch. He’s been with Gardner Village for four years this month. (Happy workiversary, Dave!) Actually, this is Dave’s second go ‘round at The Village. He also worked here in high school and is happy to be back now, overseeing all of the development management, building leasing, construction, and maintenance and decor staff. Dave's job is a big one and sometimes even includes driving BIG equipment to get the work done!
Careen Densley has worked for The Village for more than 20 years, where she started in the shops and transitioned to the property team. As the display coordinator, she’s one of the talented creatives behind the many magical displays to come to The Village each year, including the Woodland Fairies, Witches, and Elves. (Isn't she cute?)
Keri Taylor works alongside Careen as a display, decor, and grounds maintenance technician. She’s been with The Village for more than 15 years, helping make it the magical place it is!
The newest kid on the block, Mark Gilbert, joined the team four months ago as the maintenance manager for all the grounds and buildings. His unique and impressive resume includes 16 years of property/estate management for the O.C. Tanner family. If you’ve seen that beautiful property, you know he knows his stuff!
Chris Serna has been a maintenance technician for The Village for nearly a year. He assists Mark in keeping the property clean and pristine, which is no small task with such a large space. When he’s not working full-time at The Village, he’s a full-time college student. This is one busy guy!
Derek Smith and Bo Long both call The Village home during the summer months when they’re on breaks from college. It’s great having their talented hands in the mix. Derek recently painted and repaired two wagons on property, and Bo is son to The Village’s co-owner, Joe Long, so being on site is a natural space for him to spend his days.
Together, this crew divides and conquers to get the job done and keep Gardner Village looking amazing. They’re in hours before the shops open each day to assure everything is sparkling and ready for you when you arrive. They spend eight hours a day getting The Village clean and prepped, just to turn around and do it all again tomorrow. With such TLC, it’s no wonder Gardner Village is a hot spot for professional photographers to come for photo shoots with clients. (Contact The Village’s main office for more info on obtaining a photo pass.) It's also a great place to come snap casual pics with your family. No pass needed there. Simply come and enjoy the natural beauty that awaits.
Fun Facts About Gardner Village
- Gardner Village sits on 13 acres of land. No wonder it takes so many helping hands to keep it running smoothly.
- Gardner Village purchases 30,000 pounds of pumpkins every fall and 3,000 bales of straw for display purposes.
- You'll find cool antiques on display throughout the Village. Not only is a great place to glimpse into the past, it's also a wonderful source of inspiration. Find out how to make old items look new in your yard!
- Many of Gardner Village’s displays are handmade, including the remarkably detailed Woodland Fairy displays that are a free attraction at The Village now through June 24.
- Gardner Village is made up of old buildings from Utah and surrounding areas. The Village actually placed an ad once upon a time, asking if people had old buildings that needed saving. Many hours were spent relocating these buildings to The Village, and that work continues everyday with this crew, who ensures these treasures are perserved for and cared for in a delicate manner.
- Gardner Village has a stream running through it. You never know when you’ll see a family of ducks swimming by or a fairy perched on the water’s edge!
- Gardner Village is made up of 24 unique buildings. That’s a lot to maintain!
Make Parties Pretty
I’m going to get a bit personal with you. Hope that’s okay. I recently hosted my child’s birthday party here at our house. This was a first for us. (She's five.) For the past three years, we’ve had her parties at The Village. This year, I brought the party home, and boy did I regret it. I don’t have a maintenance crew making my grounds gorgeous. It wasn’t until I looked at the pics that I realized how much I missed The Village. Thanks to the Property Management Team, every square inch of The Village makes any party or gathering gorgeous. Spare yourself the massive amounts of work, and instead take advantage of all this rockin’ team does. You can thank me later. ;) (More about Village parties here.)
Where Old Meets New
I asked Dave Koncar what the most challenging part of his work was, and I loved his reply. It was something that hadn’t occurred to me before. Gardner Village is faced with the unique challenge of maintaining the original historic charm and integrity of each building while also making the grounds feel fresh, modern, and inviting. If you’ve seen the new Mill Plaza and Archibald’s Restaurant remodel, you know they’re doing a phenomenal job of this. It feels so hip and cool but also like a step back in time—what a combination! It takes some creative genius to make such a pairing possible.
The Best of Utah
Gardner Village is the perfect place to bring out-of-town guests this summer. It’s a unique glimpse of our state you can’t find elsewhere.
It’s also a wonderful setting for families. With the longer summer nights upon us, you can spend an evening or a full day enjoying the many shops, activities, and sites.
No matter your reason or time for visiting, this crew will make sure this Utah gem is beautiful and ready to wow you and yours.
Cheers!
Megan Hoeppner
Tuesday Jun 13 2017
Q: How many people does it take to change the lightbulbs at Gardner Village?
A: With tens of thousands of bulbs outside alone, you’d think it would take an army, but the reality is it’s a small crew of talented people who keeps The Village looking lovely.
Say hello to the Property Management Team at Gardner Village!
This hard working crew is made up of combination of seasoned employees who’ve worked for The Village for years, newer recruits, and even college students who lend a needed hand during their summer breaks.
Dave Koncar, the property manager, heads up this remarkable bunch. He’s been with Gardner Village for four years this month. (Happy workiversary, Dave!) Actually, this is Dave’s second go ‘round at The Village. He also worked here in high school and is happy to be back now, overseeing all of the development management, building leasing, construction, and maintenance and decor staff. Dave's job is a big one and sometimes even includes driving BIG equipment to get the work done!
Careen Densley has worked for The Village for more than 20 years, where she started in the shops and transitioned to the property team. As the display coordinator, she’s one of the talented creatives behind the many magical displays to come to The Village each year, including the Woodland Fairies, Witches, and Elves. (Isn't she cute?)
Keri Taylor works alongside Careen as a display, decor, and grounds maintenance technician. She’s been with The Village for more than 15 years, helping make it the magical place it is!
The newest kid on the block, Mark Gilbert, joined the team four months ago as the maintenance manager for all the grounds and buildings. His unique and impressive resume includes 16 years of property/estate management for the O.C. Tanner family. If you’ve seen that beautiful property, you know he knows his stuff!
Chris Serna has been a maintenance technician for The Village for nearly a year. He assists Mark in keeping the property clean and pristine, which is no small task with such a large space. When he’s not working full-time at The Village, he’s a full-time college student. This is one busy guy!
Derek Smith and Bo Long both call The Village home during the summer months when they’re on breaks from college. It’s great having their talented hands in the mix. Derek recently painted and repaired two wagons on property, and Bo is son to The Village’s co-owner, Joe Long, so being on site is a natural space for him to spend his days.
Together, this crew divides and conquers to get the job done and keep Gardner Village looking amazing. They’re in hours before the shops open each day to assure everything is sparkling and ready for you when you arrive. They spend eight hours a day getting The Village clean and prepped, just to turn around and do it all again tomorrow. With such TLC, it’s no wonder Gardner Village is a hot spot for professional photographers to come for photo shoots with clients. (Contact The Village’s main office for more info on obtaining a photo pass.) It's also a great place to come snap casual pics with your family. No pass needed there. Simply come and enjoy the natural beauty that awaits.
Fun Facts About Gardner Village
Make Parties Pretty
I’m going to get a bit personal with you. Hope that’s okay. I recently hosted my child’s birthday party here at our house. This was a first for us. (She's five.) For the past three years, we’ve had her parties at The Village. This year, I brought the party home, and boy did I regret it. I don’t have a maintenance crew making my grounds gorgeous. It wasn’t until I looked at the pics that I realized how much I missed The Village. Thanks to the Property Management Team, every square inch of The Village makes any party or gathering gorgeous. Spare yourself the massive amounts of work, and instead take advantage of all this rockin’ team does. You can thank me later. ;) (More about Village parties here.)
Where Old Meets New
I asked Dave Koncar what the most challenging part of his work was, and I loved his reply. It was something that hadn’t occurred to me before. Gardner Village is faced with the unique challenge of maintaining the original historic charm and integrity of each building while also making the grounds feel fresh, modern, and inviting. If you’ve seen the new Mill Plaza and Archibald’s Restaurant remodel, you know they’re doing a phenomenal job of this. It feels so hip and cool but also like a step back in time—what a combination! It takes some creative genius to make such a pairing possible.
The Best of Utah
Gardner Village is the perfect place to bring out-of-town guests this summer. It’s a unique glimpse of our state you can’t find elsewhere.
It’s also a wonderful setting for families. With the longer summer nights upon us, you can spend an evening or a full day enjoying the many shops, activities, and sites.
No matter your reason or time for visiting, this crew will make sure this Utah gem is beautiful and ready to wow you and yours.
Cheers!
Megan Hoeppner