At Tongue & Groove Design+Build, our leadership team is a dedicated group of professionals with diverse expertise, all committed to guiding your projects to success. Our team excels at overcoming challenges to help our clients achieve their vision without compromising quality, coolness or innovation. We’re dedicated to unlocking the hidden potential in every opportunity, consistently exceeding expectations.
Mark Batson
Owner & CEO
Kathy Glynn
COO
Matt Petr
AIA, Principal Architect
Sam Roy
Director of Property Services
Rick Elliott
Director of Construction
Clare Kelly
Director of Marketing
Our luxury design-build firm’s office location is meticulously designed to complement our comprehensive, full-service approach. Our office serves as the hub for our administrative and design teams, and it houses our cutting-edge design center. This exquisite structure and site were artfully crafted by Nick Garrett in 1999, an esteemed custom builder in the region. In 2022, we undertook an extensive renovation, both inside and out, transforming it into a premier showcase for our clients.
This enables our clients to immerse themselves in high-end selections firsthand and witness the practicality of various products in real-life settings. The building showcases a residential construction style, featuring a stone foundation, timber brackets, cedar shingle siding and roofing, copper gutters, and rain chains. The interiors emanate a warm, homey ambiance, adorned with shell stone pavers and shiplap paneling sourced from native coastal North Carolina building materials. Our dedicated team carries forward the rich legacy of this iconic space, consistently creating award-winning home designs and delivering unparalleled service.
Owner & CEO
Mark’s family has been living in the Wilmington area for hundreds of years, passing down local knowledge. His background has been tied to the sea, from his days as a child working with his dad on fishing boats, to living on the water for years. When you think about how a home will live, especially on the water, nothing can replace someone’s direct, immediate, everyday life experiences. Mark brings a wealth of knowledge as the owner & CEO of Tongue & Groove Design + Build and as a licensed Broker with Sotheby’s International Realty.
The essential advantage for clients working with Mark is that he lives the life they’re looking for every day. His house has docks, swimming pools, and pilings. He knows what works and doesn’t work. He knows what will not only look awesome but function beautifully. He has the direct, functional experience that can’t be taught; it must be lived to be understood.
Mark studied at UNCW. He earned his BA in History, which is the study of the past and how it relates to people. Relating to people is what the business of custom home building is all about. Mark applies lessons from his past experiences, and intuitively guides his clients through the design/build process to create something unique. He sees his purpose is to help families imagine how their lives could be, actualized into real environments, improving their lives through better living. Winner of multiple awards and recognition, including the 2020 NAHB Custom Home Builder of the Year Award recipient, Mark has found that cultivating long-term relationships with clients and colleagues is the real reward.
As a leader, Mark’s role is to instill a sensibility about how things should be done. He believes in having a warrior’s spirit, a servant’s heart, and a fun-loving atmosphere.
COO
Kathy Glynn is an accomplished Chief Operations Officer at Tongue & Groove Design + Build, where her strategic prowess and visionary leadership drive the company toward unprecedented success. With over two decades of experience in building luxury brands and delivering exceptional results, Kathy has held various leadership roles at prominent luxury goods companies.
Kathy has contributed significantly to renowned companies such as Diana Vreeland Parfums, Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan (LVMH), and Calvin Klein throughout her illustrious career. In addition to her accomplishments, Kathy co- founded Blueprint Beauty & Wellness, successfully building and managing the brand to great acclaim. Furthermore, she worked closely with a Private Equity Firm, playing a pivotal role in increasing the value of the Andrew Marc brand, which was ultimately sold with great success.
Kathy is a highly educated professional with a BA in Economics and Psychology. Her expertise lies in identifying opportunities and implementing scalable growth plans in fast-changing environments.
With an unwavering belief that every challenge presents an opportunity for growth and innovation, Kathy has been instrumental in enabling Tongue & Groove to reach new heights of excellence. Her extensive background in high- end beauty and fashion sales, operations, and global expansion provides her valuable insights into the luxury market. She applies this expertise to elevate Tongue & Groove’s position as a distinguished design-build firm renowned for its exceptional product and meticulous attention to detail.
In her leisure time, Kathy finds joy in traveling to beautiful destinations, spending quality time with her family, indulging her passion for culinary arts, and immersing herself in literature. Born in Manhasset, NY, she spent most of her adult life living in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY. She currently resides in Wilmington, NC, where she continues to inspire and motivate her team toward unprecedented success.
AIA, Principal Architect
Matt seeks to unite differing perspectives to inspire original design solutions for projects. His skill and craftsmanship in conceptual modeling and sketching, digital visualization and B.I.M. software fosters exceptional team communication and coordination on projects of all scales and levels of complexity.
He sees design as a search for the truth. Matt began his search while studying Industrial Design at Towson University, MD. In a design internship in Black and Decker’s Proto-typing studio, the significance of “the process of making” quickly evolved into an appreciation for those things made well. After undergrad, he embarked on a 60 day / 12,500 mile adventure across the United States exploring national parks, vibrant urban centers and forgotten corners. Looking back, this trip and the people Matt met helped to define a human perspective he’s continued to carry into his search for design truth. At NC State’s Graduate School of Architecture, Matt found a common thread between great design and a commitment to deliver that design to the community. He believes that whether large or small, the things we make find their way into the lives of those around us, and in doing so must make those lives better.
Director of Property Services
Looking for a new challenge, Sam joined the Tongue & Groove team, where he heads the Property Maintenance division. He’s been able to excel in servicing existing and new client homes on their maintenance plans and smaller renovations. Managing subcontractors and working alongside our in-house design + build division, Sam enjoys working with a team to ensure issues are resolved and our client’s homes are pristinely maintained for decades to come.
Before his time with Tongue & Groove, Sam managed many renovation projects in the states and overseas. He is continually inspired by creativity and enjoys being a part of the unique projects Tongue & Groove produces. Originally from Connecticut, Sam was brought to Wilmington for college at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Sam had a passion for the ocean from a young age, which drove him to earn his Bachelors’s Degree in Environmental Science and Minors in Chemistry and Biology.
Sam’s positive approach backed by a strong team throughout the Tongue & Groove company will virtually guarantee that our homeowners will enjoy the comfort and beauty of their well-maintained home for years to come. His ability to work toward common goals for successful results comes from his many years in the industry, and is a natural fit for this position with Tongue & Groove Property Maintenace.
In Sam’s free time, you can find him out on the water, fishing, surfing, and going to the beach. Sam also enjoys renovating homes with his wife; they have done many projects on their own home and have renovated a few locally over the last few years.
Director of Field Operations
Rick Elliott began his career in construction at the age of six, building birdhouses and fixing up the old home he grew up in. In 1990, he founded his own development company, focusing on high-end residential projects in the New York Metro area. In 2008, Rick returned to New York City and launched another development company specializing in buying and restoring brownstones. He also worked for Rusk Renovations, one of the leading general contractors in NYC, where he served as Director of Construction and General Superintendent, overseeing projects totaling over $280 million annually. Throughout his career, Rick has built homes for multiple A-list celebrities and financiers.
In his free time, you’ll find Rick on the boat, at the beach, fishing, or spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren.
Director of Marketing
Clare brings a blend of creativity, strategic insight, and an understanding of luxury branding to her role as Director of Marketing at Tongue & Groove. With a background spanning real estate, hospitality, and private club communications, she leads the firm’s marketing efforts across digital, print, and experiential platforms, helping to shape and amplify the Tongue & Groove brand in both established and emerging markets.
Originally from Edenton, North Carolina, Clare grew up surrounded by the world of real estate, with both parents working as agents. She earned her degree in Integrated Marketing Communication from UNC Wilmington, along with a minor in studio art. Drawn to the intersection of creativity and business, she found a natural path in design and marketing, one that offered both personal expression and professional growth.
Outside of work, Clare’s coastal roots run deep. You’ll likely find her soaking up the sun with a margarita in hand, enjoying time by the ocean, or getting hands-on with paints and clay. Her passion for art and nature continues to inform her work—bringing clarity, beauty, and purpose to every brand touchpoint.
