“Don Peebles”

Born on March 2, 1960, Roy Donahue Peebles grew up in Washington, D.C., the only son of a civil servant and a real estate broker. Following high school, Peebles enrolled at Rutgers University, intending to pursue a career in medicine. In 1979, he began his real estate career as an appraiser, opening his own firm within three years and securing major clients like the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.i

Peebles’ career soared in 1983 when Mayor Marion Barry appointed him to the District of Columbia’s Board of Equalization & Review. At 23, he became the youngest chairman of any board in Washington, D.C. 's history, a position he held until 1988. His real estate development career began in 1987 with a 100,000-square-foot office building in an economically challenged neighborhood in D.C. By 1989, he established a commercial tax assessment appeal firm with the highest success rate in Washington, D.C.

In 1995, while vacationing in Miami, Peebles read about the city’s search for a Black developer to revitalize two historic hotels. Inspired, he moved his company’s headquarters to Miami in 1997 and expanded The Peebles Corporation to include luxury hospitality and residential divisions. Peebles became the first African American to break into South Florida’s all-white developer ranks. His $60 million redevelopment of the Shorecrest and Royal Palm hotels marked a turning point, and his purchase and transformation of the Miami Beach Bath Club into a luxury condominium complex cemented his legacy.

Today, The Peebles Corporation is one of the nation’s leading privately held real estate companies, with a multi-billion-dollar portfolio spanning key markets like New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, and Washington, D.C. Guided by its Affirmative Development™ principles, the company aims to empower women and minorities to close the wealth gap while creating opportunities alongside real estate projects.

A dedicated mentor to underprivileged youth, Peebles has served as Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and member of President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee.

HELLA INSPIRED.