R. Donahue Peebles

Roy Donahue “Don” Peebles (born March 2, 1960) is a real estate entrepreneur, author and political activist. Peebles is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Peebles Corp., the largest African American real estate development and ownership company in the US, with a multi-billion dollar development portfolio of luxury hotels, high-rise residential and commercial properties in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas and Miami Beach.

Peebles and his firm have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Black Enterprise and Ebony and he appears regularly as a guest host or commentator on CNBC, CNN and Fox to advise on real estate, economic and political issues. In May 2009, Forbes listed Peebles in the top ten of the wealthiest black Americans. Fortune Magazine has estimated his wealth at $350 million.

Background

Peebles was born in Washington, D.C. to a single teenage working class mother. At the age of 14, he volunteered for DC City Council Chair Sterling Tucker’s campaign during the summer of 1974. From 1976 to 1978, Peebles attended the United States Capitol Page School at the Library of Congress. He served as a page, a legislative intern in the office of Representative Ronald V. Dellums (D-Calif) and served as a staff aide to Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich).

Career

In 1979, after completing his freshman year as a premed student at Rutgers University —he did not complete his degree— Peebles became a real estate sales agent and appraiser in Washington, D.C. On January 9, 1983, at the age of 23, he established RDP Corporation, a residential and commercial real estate appraisal firm. Later that year, he was appointed to Washington’s Board of Equalization and Review, the real estate tax appeals board currently known as the Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals. One year later, when Peebles was 24, Washington’s Mayor Marion Barry appointed him Chairperson of the Board where he served until 1988. Throughout the 1980s, Peebles hosted numerous political fundraisers for local mayoral, city council and presidential candidates.

Peebles developed a 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) Class-A office building at 2100 Martin Luther King Ave. SE. The building was the first new major commercial building built in the Anacostia section of Washington, D.C. in decades.

During the early to mid 1990s, Peebles acquired commercial buildings and development sites in Washington, D.C. In 1990, Peebles founded RDP Assessment Appeals Services, a Washington-based commercial tax assessment appeals firm.

In the early 1990s, Washington Business Journal wrote an article citing Peebles as one of the “top fundraisers” in the city. He and his wife hosted fundraisers for mayoral candidates of New York City and Atlanta, the Governor of Maryland, and numerous congressional candidates. Peebles was invited to Arkansas to attend the economic summit held during the Clinton-Gore transition period.

Peebles moved to Florida and opened an office in Miami after a property deal worth $48 million collapsed. He began working on a public-private partnership with the City of Miami Beach. Two years later, he relocated his corporate headquarters to Miami. The projects included the Royal Palm Hotel, a 420-room and suite ocean-front resort consisting of three towers, in the heart of Miami Beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Other Miami projects include The Residences at The Bath Club, a luxury residential tower.

In November 2010, Peebles' company was sued by D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles for alleged overbilling; Peebles says the charges are politically motivated.

Awards

In 2004, Peebles was elected as chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been recognized by various organizations for his leadership and innovation. He has received numerous awards over the last 25 years for his entrepreneurial leadership, community service efforts and development abilities. Peebles’ most recent awards include Entrepreneur of the Year presented by Rev. Jesse Jackson at the 11th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit; Corporate Citizen Award from One Hundred Black Men of New York; the NV Award for Entrepreneurship; the Hennessy Privilege Award for extraordinary community contributions; induction to the Martin Luther King International Board of Renaissance Leaders Hall of Fame at Morehouse College in Atlanta; Community Leader Award from Russell and Danny Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation at their inaugural Art for Life event in Miami Beach; the Reginald F. Lewis Award for Entrepreneurship; and Corporate Honoree at Amsterdam News’ 100th Anniversary Gala alongside Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Congressman Charles Rangel and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Politics

The Peebles have supported various congressional, mayoral and gubernatorial candidates over the years. Peebles serves as a member of President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee where he established himself as one of the campaign’s leading fundraisers in the nation.

In 2010, he considered running to become mayor of Washington, but he decided against a run due to his mother-in-law's illness.

Writing

• The Peebles Principles: Tales and Tactics from an Entrepreneur's Life of Winning Deals, Succeeding in Business, and Creating a Fortune from Scratch. R. Donahue Peebles with J. P. Faber. John Wiley and Sons (2007). ISBN 0470099305.
• The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth: How to Make Money in Any Market. R. Donahue Peebles with J. P. Faber. John Wiley and Sons (2008). ISBN 047037280X.

Personal life

Peebles lives part time in Coral Gables, Florida. His wife Katrina, who he married in 1994, is a former model. His children, a son and a daughter, attend school in Florida.

External links

• The Peebles Corporation
• Fried, John (1 March 2005). "How I Did It: R. Donahue Peebles". Inc. Magazine. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20050301/howididit.html. Retrieved 5 December 2010.