About

A 5th-generation Miami native, Gavin McKenzie is a passionate advocate for the environment. Growing up in South Florida, he spent as much time as possible immersed in the outdoors and became entranced by the raw beauty of the Everglades and its magnificent inhabitants. In 2021 he and his family moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina, where that same passion for nature is central to his life.

An avid fisherman and outdoorsman, Gavin believes that protecting the magic of wild places is part of our basic responsibility as humans. Through photography, activism, and leading wellness and nature-based retreats on his 70-acre property, Firecreek Retreat in WNC, he aims to share his passion and inspire others.

A design-builder by trade, Gavin founded McKenzie in 2005, a Miami-based design-build and custom fabrication firm specializing in high-end custom millwork and metalwork. Building on that foundation, he later launched Second Mountain, a design and creation studio, building homestead-oriented properties throughout Western North Carolina, where exceptional architecture meets sustainable, land-connected living.

He has gained immensely through his immersion in community. Gavin was the Chairman of the Board of The Alliance for Florida's National Parks and is now a board emeritus. Additionally, he serves as a board member for the The Dade Heritage Trust and The Artists in Residence in Everglades, and volunteers at the Yancey County Humane Society.

Gavin lives with his wife, Christy, and their two young children on their homestead and retreat center in Burnsville, NC, where they host retreats and events while stewarding and learning to live off the land.