Katrina L. Peebles
MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Katrina Peebles serves on the board of directors of The Peebles Corporation and brings more than twenty years of experience in real estate, historic preservation, community involvement and political fundraising to the firm. Mrs. Peebles embarked upon a career in marketing at Carter, Hawley and Hale (parent company of Neiman Marcus) in her hometown of San Francisco shortly after graduating from college. Her career took her to Washington, DC where she met her future husband, R. Donahue Peebles, in the early 1990s. In conjunction with Mr. Peebles' entrepreneurial initiatives in real estate, Mrs. Peebles spearheaded the development of the Peebles real estate tax assessment appeal business which went on to become the most successful real estate tax appeal firm in the District of Columbia. In the mid-1990's, after the launch of Peebles Atlantic Development Corporation, Mrs. Peebles focused on preparing winning responses to requests for proposals, guiding project-specific marketing efforts and overseeing the preservation and restoration of the company's historic mixed-use developments. The company's development of historic properties or projects within historic districts includes:
- The conversion of the former Washington Loan & Trust building built in 1891 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, into the Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center Hotel
- The restoration and incorporation of an Art Deco building in Anacostia to create 100,000 square feet of office space at 2100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, which was featured on the Parade of Mayor's tour in 1991 as an excellent example of urban renewal.
- The development of a 280,000 square foot office building located at 10 G Street in the heart of Union Station's Historic District.
- The restoration and integration of two 17-story oceanfront Art Deco towers into the intimate Royal Palm Hotel in Miami Beach.
- The historic restoration of The Bath Club, South Florida's oldest private beach club established in 1926, into an award-winning project combining the historic structure with luxurious tower residences overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
- The renovation and interior design of over a dozen estates in Washington, DC; Potomac, MD; Big Fork, Montana; Bridgehampton, NY; Santa Fe, NM; and Miami, FL.
Though she invests a significant amount of time into her role at The Peebles Corporation, Mrs. Peebles believes strongly in the importance of corporate responsibility to community enrichment. As such, she is active in numerous organizations including:
- Co-Founder of Recreation Wish List with former Washington, D.C. First Lady, Cora Barry which raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the renovation of the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation facilities.
- Former Co-President of Women's Cancer League.
- Board Member of Cancer Link, a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to the eradication of breast cancer at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
- Member of Honeyshine, a program of Alonzo Mourning charities which provides positive experiences that nurture young women in at-risk situations.
- Board member of United Way.
- Member of the Miami Children's Hospital Auxiliary: Crowned the "Queen of Hearts".
- Awarded Key to the City of Miami and the City of Miami Beach.
- Former Member of Miami Beach's Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors.
- Former Vice President of the Vizcayans, which engages broad participation in the preservation and advancement of the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens as an accredited museum and a National Historic Landmark through financial support, advocacy and other activities.
In addition to Mrs. Peebles corporate and community initiatives, she and her husband have a distinguished track record as political fundraisers dating back to the 1990s in Washington, DC. Over the course of the last two decades, the Peebles have hosted events for mayoral candidates and gubernatorial hopefuls from major metropolitan cities as well as countless congressional candidates. In 1992, Mr. and Mrs. Peebles hosted then presidential hopeful, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton in their home and went on to serve as sponsors of the Clinton Inaugural. Most recently, the Peebles hosted an intimate fundraiser for President Barack Obama at The Bath Club in May 2008 while Mr. Peebles served as a member of Obama's National Finance Committee.
Mrs. Peebles holds a bachelor of science in journalism and is fluent in Spanish.