Biography

Jason grew up far from the ocean but began boating, skiing, and fishing at a young age in the diverse waters of the Missouri Ozarks. While living in the Kansas City area, he became a lake sailor. His sailing passion eventually led him to move his family aboard a sailing yacht near Amelia Island, Florida in 2019. 

Jason Gerke is currently a licensed yacht and ship broker (TC12768) and a licensed real estate advisor (SL3515959) for Engel & Völkers in Florida. 

Jason is a member of the Oyster Bay Harbour Yacht Club and, by extension, the Florida Council of Yacht Clubs. 

A career in communications coupled with a passion for business development enables Jason to expertly list and sell your luxury yacht, sailing vessel, or power boat to the right buyer for the best price. His passion for the yachting lifestyle and entrepreneurship enables him to find a client’s dream yacht and meet their lifestyle and business goals.

In addition to a career in communications and marketing, he and his wife Colleen have successfully started, built and sold a number of small businesses.  Over the past decade, Jason and Colleen have boot-strapped, developed and successfully sold two vineyard and winery businesses in the Kansas City area. Jowler Creek Vineyard and Winery, Inc., in Platte City, Mo., was started in 2006 in a basement and grew into an estate vineyard and 3,000-case winery complete with special events, festivals, weddings and multi-state wine distribution. Weston Wine Company was established in 2014 in the historic town of Weston, Mo. 

Prior to joining his wife at the winery, Jason worked in agriculture communications as a public relations account supervisor for Osborn & Barr in Kansas City. While there, he served clients such as Monsanto, Merck and AgraQuest. Jason has also worked extensively with farmer-led organizations to provide spokesperson and social media training. 

Previously, Jason held the position of Editor/Publications Manager for Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) – the country’s largest milk marketing cooperative. In this role, he led a team and managed written and electronic communications to members, media, and industry customers. 

Jason’s first love was writing about the beef industry. He spent seven years visiting farmers and ranchers across the country while writing for Drovers magazine. Jason earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a minor in Ag Economics. 

Jason and Colleen have two children, Addison and Sawyer and currently live in Fernandina Beach, Florida. He enjoys sailing, fishing, tennis and traveling to national parks around the country.