Employee Spotlight

Meet Landscape Foreman Alex Markowski, a 29-year-old single Jacksonville Beach local. With four years of landscaping experience atop a prior background in pool construction, Alex brings a well-rounded skill set to every project. An avid golfer and fitness enthusiast, Alex speaks fondly of his parent’s influence and memories of spending time with them in the gym while growing up. As for work, Alex says “I enjoy working for Rockaway and they’ve taken care of me.” Thank you Alex for your leadership and hard work.

Meet Aiden Liptock!

Irrigation Tech Aiden Liptock is originally from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and moved here three years ago and began his career in irrigation. At 26 years old Aiden has been a dedicated member of our team for nearly a year. When he isn’t working Aiden enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and dog along with a variety of sports with his favorites being baseball and football. Aiden looks forward to growing with Rockaway. Aiden thank you for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Antonio Santiago!

Landscaping Tech Antonio is a new hire to Rockaway with over three years experience in landscaping with a strong paver hardscaping background. Originally from Georgia Antonio has a large family of seven brothers and sisters most of whom live in Mexico where his parents are from. In his spare time Antonio enjoys video games and jokingly says eating most anything. Antonio says what he likes about working at Rockaway the most are his coworkers and the making good money. Thank you Antonio for being a part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Melissa Martinez!

Client Experience Coordinator Melissa Martinez is new to Rockaway, but brings with her ten years of high-end landscaping client services and administration experience. When she’s not working to please clients she loves caring for animals (including a large cat colony) and bargain hunting as a thrifter. Originally from Puerto Rico, Melissa is 37 years young and happily married with one teenage daughter. She loves her job focused on listening to client needs and making them happy.

Meet Tristian Duncan!

Maintenance Tech Tristian Duncan is new to the Rockaway team and brings a strong work ethic, professionalism, and passion to each residential property. As a 27-year-old local of Jacksonville Beach, Tristian has several years of experience in landscape maintenance. “Rockaway is awesome,” Tristian says. “I love the beauty of the properties we maintain. Every one of them is like being in a movie.” Thank you, Tristian, for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Michael London!

Carpentry Tech Michael London has hammered out a strong position with our clients and team with his dedication to working through challenges from start to finish at every assignment. Carpentry is in his blood as he grew up in a family-owned millwork installation company in Boston before moving to Florida. Besides our clients love of his craftmanship they adore his thoughtful daily progress reports and interest in their input and feedback. Michael is happily married with two children. He says Rockaway is a good company to work for and we appreciate all you do for our company and clients Michael!

Meet Trey Wann

Rockaway Commercial Account Manager Trey Wann has been in the industry for over five years starting in Northern Virginia where he’s from. Trey is happily married with two sons and daughters. Trey lives in Atlantic Beach and loves spending his off time with family playing golf, pickleball and bike riding. “What brought me to Rockaway was the progressive approach the company has towards customer service and landscaping in general. Thank you Trey for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet John Kellat!

Residential Maintenance Crew Leader John Kellat loves his career, which blends well with his hobbies of gardening and exploring natural Florida. John was originally from New Smyrna Beach and has been in Jacksonville for eight years. Along with his passion for the outdoors, John brings over a decade of industry experience. With his wife’s and two children’s help, John started and runs the Florida Native Plant Repopulation non-profit focused on education and conservation, which was featured in the Mandarin Newsline publication! John says Rockaway is one of the best companies to work for. They treat everyone with respect, pay fairly, and provide training. Thank you, John, for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Mike ‘Mikey’ Nygard

With over 15 years of experience in landscape maintenance and more than three years with Rockaway, Mikey Nygard brings a strong work ethic to his position as maintenance route supervisor. Originally from Hialeah, Miami, Mikey is married and a proud parent. He enjoys riding his Yamaha YZF-R6 sportbike in his free time. Mikey says Rockaway is a good place to work and he appreciates his colleagues. Thank you, Mikey, for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Brian Coggeshall!

Irrigation Tech Brian Coggeshall got his feet wet (pun intended) first in golf course irrigation, followed by residential, and now is doing residential and commercial irrigation installation, maintenance, and repairs with Rockaway. At 27 years old, Brian is originally from Boston but grew up in Northeast Florida. He has a fantastic girlfriend and enjoys spending leisure time with family and friends enjoying music (particularly the Grateful Dead) and at the beach. Brian says he likes being part of Team Rockaway and appreciates that the owners and managers listen to his suggestions and input. Thank you, Brian, for being a part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Mike Oaks!

Landscape Foreman Mike Oaks has several decades of experience with softscaping, hardscaping, water feature installation, and carpentry. Originally from Ohio, Mike is 37 years old and happily married to Melissa, who together they proudly parent their one teenage daughter Emma. In his spare time, Mike enjoys time with his family, working on cars, car shows, and auto racing. Mike says he loves the support of his team and the challenges of providing a wide range of landscaping services to Rockaway’s residential and commercial clients. Thank you, Mike, for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Jerome Morris!

Jerome is a relative newcomer to the Rockaway carpentry team but brings with him 40 years of woodworking and artistry. At 59, Jerome is happily married with one daughter and a granddaughter. As a native of Jacksonville Beach, Jerome is well-known for his artistry, which is focused primarily on surfing and fishing. Jerome says everyone’s friendly here at Rockaway, and we’re doing quality work for our clients. Thank you, Jerome, for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Zane Chapman

Zane Chapman brings a dynamic 14 years of industry experience to his role as Rockaway’s Production Manager. Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Zane’s passion for efficiency and a “get-it-done” attitude are evident in everything he does. When he’s not ensuring projects run smoothly, you might find him fishing, playing pool, hitting the open road on his motorcycle, or boxing. Zane says Rockaway is a great local company with terrific owners, management, & staff to work with. We thank you for all you do Zane for our clients and team members.

Meet Timothy Volkers!

A familiar face at Rockaway, Tim joined us a few months after we opened our doors 14 years ago. While his role has evolved over time, his dedication has remained constant. Originally a corporate pilot from Georgia, Tim eventually landed (pun intended!) in Jacksonville Beach, where he tackled his home renovations. Now, his expertise flourishes as our resident shop assistant, caring for our plant inventory and more. Tim finds joy in Rockaway’s growth and the strong bond he shares with the owners. Thank you, Tim, for being a valued member of the Rockaway family!

Meet Floyd McEntire Jr!

Floyd has been with Rockaway for less than a year, but he’s quickly become an integral part of the team as Shop Manager, providing maintenance and repairs on the full line of our small and large equipment inventory. Originally from Vevay, Indiana, Floyd brought with him decades of experience in equipment maintenance, plus a proud background as a veteran firefighter and safety trainer. At 37 years of age, Floyd enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters, walking along the downtown Riverwalk, and riding motorcycles during his off time. Floyd says Rockaway is a great, fast-growing company that’s an excellent place to work with good people. And he’s eager to contribute to improving our operational excellence. Thank you, Floyd, for being a part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Anthony Canales!

Originally from Peru, Anthony has been with us for five years. He’s single, has one son, and loves to visit new places in his free time. Anthony says Rockaway is the best company he’s worked for. Anthony’s focus as a Rockaway Senior Irrigation Technician is on higher-level troubleshooting and repairs, irrigation inspections, analysis, setup, programming, and monitoring of Weathermatics Smartlink controllers, and more. Anthony, thank you for your service to our clients and for being part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Nate Walsh Raborn!

As a Rockaway Agronomic Technician Nate helps keep your lawn healthy! Originally from Polk County, Nate follows in his father Mike’s footsteps, a longtime Rockaway Carpentry Technician. During his five months at Rockaway, Nate’s hard work and quick learning have helped us prepare for the Spring growth season. Friendly and a fast learner, Nate thrives in our team environment. He enjoys unwinding with Call of Duty after a productive day. Thank you, Nate, for being a part of Team Rockaway!

Meet Tony Carswell!

At 35 years old, Tony has 8 years of experience as a landscape technician with Rockaway and 27 years of landscaping experience considering he started in his dad’s business at age eight. He fondly recollects learning to drive on one of their tractors. Although he’s been allergic to dirt his entire life, he loves working outside for Rockaway. “I love working for Rockaway,” Tony says. As he was born and raised in Jacksonville Beach, we are fortunate at Rockaway that he chose to continue his career close to home. When he isn’t working, Tony loves spending time with his wife and four children, and baking is his favorite hobby. Thank you for all you do for us, our clients, and the community, Tony. It’s very much appreciated. 

Meet Efren Cruz!

Rockaway’s Maintenance Operations Manager, Efren, brings a wealth of experience to the table. With 17 years in the industry, including 7 at Rockaway, his expertise is invaluable. Efren isn’t just a leader; he’s bilingual and actively hires, trains, and develops our team. He’s passionate about his work, stating, “I love what I do – teaching and helping improve efficiency.” Efren’s dedication extends beyond our team – his skills benefit our clients as well. Thank you, Efren, for everything you do!