About Us
As Co-Founder of Sandpiper Vacation Rentals, Mark Mitchell is an accomplished real estate agent and broker with more than 30 years of experience in property ownership and management. He has personally managed a portfolio of 12 properties, including his own Sandpiper cottage in Seaside, giving him firsthand insight into the needs and priorities of vacation homeowners.
What began as a side venture alongside his corporate career quickly became a passion. For 25 years, Mark successfully balanced property management with his role as President and Owner of US Benefit Consultants, an employee benefits firm specializing in sports insurance. His distinguished client roster included professional organizations such as the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Thrashers, and Atlanta Hawks—an experience that honed his attention to detail, service excellence, and strategic thinking.
In 2008, Mark partnered with his eldest daughter, Shannon, to focus exclusively on property management, founding Sandpiper Vacation Rentals with the mission of delivering expert guidance and personalized service to Seaside cottage owners. Together, they built a family-owned company grounded in experience, integrity, and a deep appreciation for the 30A community.
Mark and his wife, Kathleen, have three children—Shannon, Hayley, and Trevor—each of whom has played a role in the business over the years. Mark takes great pride in growing a family enterprise and sharing his lifelong passion for 30A with both homeowners and guests. Outside of work, he is an avid golfer, skier, and runner, and he participates annually in the Seaside Half Marathon and 5K.
As Co-Founder of Sandpiper Vacation Rentals, Shannon is Mark’s eldest daughter and a graduate of Auburn University, where she studied Mass Communications and Political Science. Her career began in television production and took her from New York to Jamaica, offering a breadth of experience in fast-paced, high-profile media environments. As a news production associate for The Today Show, Shannon worked alongside industry leaders before returning to Atlanta to join Turner Broadcasting Systems as a producer. During her time there, she earned an Emmy Award in recognition of her excellence in television production.
Beyond broadcast media, Shannon brings extensive experience in interactive marketing and website design, developed while working with a leading international consulting firm in Atlanta. In 2008, she combined this expertise with her father, Mark, to co-found Sandpiper Vacation Rentals—a company intentionally built with forward-thinking, 21st-century marketing strategies at its core. Today, Sandpiper leverages cutting-edge property management technology alongside sophisticated social media and digital marketing expertise to drive exceptional rental performance.
Shannon lives with her husband, Matt, and their two children, Anderson and Sutton. As a family, they love spending time at the beach—biking around town, paddle boarding, playing tennis, and enjoying movie nights on the Seaside lawn.
