R. Donahue Peebles
Encyclopedia
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.
’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).
—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 100000 square feet (9,290.3 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.
’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.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and Miami Beach.
Peebles and his firm have been featured in publications such as The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise
Black Enterprise is a monthly U.S. magazine which describes itself as "the premier business news and investment resource for African Americans" and claims a readership of 3.7 million. It was founded in 1970 by Earl G. Graves, Sr.. The publication is known for its annual listing of the largest...
and Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
and he appears regularly as a guest host or commentator on CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
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 TuckerSterling Tucker
Sterling Tucker is a civil rights activist and politician in Washington, D.C. In 1974, he was elected as a Democrat to be chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia in the first election after home rule was established, serving for one term...
’s campaign during the summer of 1974. From 1976 to 1978, Peebles attended the United States Capitol Page School at the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. He served as a page
United States House of Representatives Page
United States House of Representatives Page Program was a program run by the United States House of Representatives, under the office of the Clerk of the House, in which appointed high school juniors acted as non-partisan federal employees in the House of Representatives, providing supplemental...
, a legislative intern in the office of Representative Ronald V. Dellums (D-Calif) and served as a staff aide to Representative John Conyers
John Conyers
John Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Jr. (D-Mich).
Career
In 1979, after completing his freshman year as a premed student at Rutgers UniversityRutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
—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
Marion Barry
Marion Shepilov Barry, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing DC's Ward 8. Barry served as the second elected mayor of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991, and again as the fourth mayor from 1995...
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 100000 square feet (9,290.3 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
Anacostia
Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Its historic downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue It is the most famous neighborhood in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, after which the...
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
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Atlanta, the Governor of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, 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 ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
’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.