Mark Cecil was raised on a family farm in Central Kentucky. He moved to Naples, FL in 1969 where he graduated form Naples High School in 1976. In 1980, Cecil graduated Cum Laude from FSU with a BFA in Painting, with Minors in Biology, Chemistry, and Art History. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with an MFA, Mark worked as a sculptor, curator, and artist in residence, with numerous group and solo exhibitions. He founded DataWorks, Inc. in 1986 to provide business software solutions for the leisure and entertainment industry, with customers including Pebble Beach Golf Resort and Ritz Carlton Hotels. Cecil is married to Jenny, and together they have seven children: five boys and two girls ranging in ages from 27 to 9.