Recognized as one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the nation, Don Peebles is founder, chairman and CEO of The Peebles Corporation, one of the country’s most active privately held national real estate investment and development companies. Mr. Peebles engages in practices of Affirmative Development™ to provide transformative economic inclusion for minority and woman owned businesses  within their  multi-billion dollar portfolio of projects in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami, and Los Angeles. 

Mr. Peebles is also the author of top-selling books, “The Peebles Principles” and “The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth,” a regular guest commentator on FOX Business, CNN, CNBC and FOX News and a highly sought-after speaker who has addressed educational, business and professional audiences across the United States.

Mr. Peebles is a passionate proponent of mentoring programs that expose youth to the value of entrepreneurship, as well as an active political supporter and fundraiser for local, state and federal campaigns of both major parties. He serves as Ambassador to the University of Southern California and the Board of Directors of YMCA of Greater New York.

Previously, he has served on the National Finance Committee of President Barack Obama, former Chairman of the Board of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and is the former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

The Peebles Principles: Tales and Tactics from an Entrepreneur's Life of Winning Deals, Succeeding in Business, and Creating a Fortune from Scratch

The Peebles Path to Real Estate Wealth: How to Make Money in Any Market

Katrina L. Peebles is responsible for the creative vision and direction of The Peebles Corporation’s design and marketing. For over 25 years she has led the company’s efforts in the areas of real estate, interior design, historic preservation, community involvement and political fundraising. 

Upon joining the company and in conjunction with Mr. Peebles’ entrepreneurial initiatives, 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-1990s, 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 including The Royal Palm, The Residences at The Bath Club, and 108 Leonard. Prior to joining The Peebles Corporation, Mrs. Peebles held a position in marketing at Carter, Hawley and Hale (parent company of Neiman Marcus) in her hometown of San Francisco. 

In addition to her corporate role, Mrs. Peebles has made it a priority to give back to her community and devote time to various charities. She currently sits on the board of directors for CARE Elementary School in Miami, and as the Vice Chair of the New York City Mission Society.  She is the former vice president of Villa Viscaya, former president of the Women's Cancer League, co-founder and former president of the Recreation Wish List Committee of Washington, D.C. and has served as a member of the Miami City Ballet, Cancer Link, United Way, Lighthouse for the Blind and the Women Who Care Committee–NYC. Mrs. Peebles is also active in politics, hosting and contributing to political fundraisers for nearly three decades.

Mrs. Peebles holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Chris Leng Smith oversees the overall execution and day-to-day management of The Peebles Corporation’s developments in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Leng Smith was Senior Vice President for the New York City Economic Development Corporation where he led the structuring and negotiation of public-private partnerships and transactions for more than 2.5 million square feet of developments including Flushing Commons, the Battery Maritime Building and Coney Island, among others. Previously, Mr. Leng Smith managed the financial analysis, project planning, market positioning, design, and preliminary leasing of more than $5 billion of world-class domestic and international real estate projects as Senior Director of Tishman Speyer and Vice President of AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp. 

Mr. Leng Smith began his career as a resident engineer and engineering project manager on large-scale renovation and construction projects in New York, Trinidad, Malaysia and London. He earned a BA in Engineering from Cambridge University in England and an MBA in Finance and International Business from Columbia University’s Business School. He is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and has served on an advisory panel to the Mayor of Portland, Oregon.

Donahue Peebles, III is Executive Vice President and handles new acquisitions and business development for The Peebles Corporation.

Mr. Peebles actively pursues public and private real estate transactions in for The Peebles Corporation’s various markets, including South Florida, Washington, D.C.-metropolitan area and New York tri-state area. In addition, he maintains substantial involvement in the pre-development phase, and is capable of advancing projects through the development process through strategic partnerships, management and community engagement.

Mr. Peebles is the Owner and CEO of Legacy Real Estate Development, LLC a Residential Real Estate Development firm that focuses on the development and acquisition of low-income housing projects in South Florida, Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area and New York tri-state area.

Mr. Peebles takes an active role in The Peebles Corporation’s public image, participating in business and entrepreneurial summits, as well as real estate panels and forums. He also serves both the Washington D.C. and New York City communities by engaging with multiple philanthropies that benefit and expose youth to various opportunities in entrepreneurship. He currently works with the New York City Mission Society, Best Buddies, Harlem Mothers S.A.V.E., and various other organizations to improve the quality of life of impoverished and special-needs individuals on a global scale. 

Mr. Peebles holds a B.A. in Economics from Columbia University.

Peter Rooney is a highly versatile real estate executive with extensive experience in investment, development, and associated dispositions across asset classes, geographies, and through complete market cycles. Focused on maximizing returns while minimizing risks, he has completed transactions with an aggregate value of greater than twelve ($12) billion.

Mr. Rooney joined The Peebles Corporation after serving as a Managing Director at a New York based real estate investment and development firm with a multi-billion-dollar portfolio spanning asset classes, including more than two thousand (2,000) luxury residential condominium units. He served as the principal bridge between corporate verticals and actively managed the completion and disposition of over two and a half (2.5) million gross square feet.

Previously, Mr. Rooney was a Principal at The Carlyle Group, a global private equity and alternative asset management firm based in New York.  He functioned as a Development Lead and Principal of the U.S. real asset acquisition and asset management teams.  He advised on market outlook and forecasts, underwriting, levers of value, revenue projections, downside protection, and partnerships. The team’s portfolio of work included over twenty (20) investments, yielding greater than two-thousand five hundred (2500+) units with aggregate values of over five ($5) Billion.

Mr. Rooney began his career at The Mark Company in San Francisco, and is a graduate of Denison University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts.

Emil Dominique manages the back office and accounting for The Peebles Corporation current assets and developments. Mr. Dominique has more than 10 years of experience in public and commercial accounting. His vast knowledge and skills contribute to management dashboarding, financial reporting, project accounting, maintaining banking relationships, assessing internal controls, project onboarding and maintaining accounting information management systems.  

Additionally, Mr. Dominique serves as The Peebles Corporation Network Administrator with 16 years of experience in information technology. He administers The Peebles Corporation network environment, architect and integrity. Which consist of defining network policies, procedures, assuring hardware and networking infrastructure bound to Peebles data network are effectively maintained. Since joining The Peebles Corporation his roles have evolved from clerk to his current positions he holds. Mr. Dominique studied Computer Engineering.

Kelly T is a senior accountant at The Peebles Corporation. She is responsible for overseeing the draw process and financial reporting for the development projects, as well the accounting processes and procedures at The Bath Club. Kelly brings over 11 years of accounting experience in development, construction, and the live entertainment industries and has a proven track record of improving financial processes and increasing cost savings for the company.

Prior to her role at The Peebles Corporation, Kelly worked as an accountant at OKO Group and Livestyle Entertainment. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Elijah Jones is a real estate investment professional focusing on investment and development strategies, with experience in market trends and financial analysis. As a real estate development analyst at The Peebles Corporation, he conducts extensive financial analysis, market research, and risk assessment for potential real estate development projects. Mr. Jones’ primary responsibilities include creating pro forma models, evaluating the financial performance and feasibility of acquisitions and existing properties, using market trends to facilitate informed decision-making, and cultivating proposals in response to RFPs.

Before joining TPC, Mr. Jones worked as an analyst at My Community Homes, a Miami-based platform of global private equity firm KKR & Co. During his tenure there, he enhanced his analytical and transactional experience through the acquisition of over 7,000 single-family homes, across 12 states, generating an approximate asset value of $2.5 billion. Prior to this, he served for six years in Army Special Operations as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Mr. Jones holds two Bachelors of Science degrees in Finance, and Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Radford University as well as two master’s degrees from the University of Miami in Real Estate Development and Construction Management.

Jessica Desir is a member of the accounting department at The Peebles Corporation. She oversees the entire accounts payable process, maintaining accurate records of financial documents and payments to suppliers. In addition to her responsibilities in accounting, Ms. Desir prides herself on building lasting relationships with vendors and employees.

Ms. Desir has spent more than a decade working in various accounting roles for local civic associations and organizations throughout New Jersey, such as the Nishuane Group, LLC. Prior to joining The Peebles Corporation, Ms. Desir worked as an accounts payable coordinator at Kent International.

Ms. Desir holds a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University, with a concentration in Budgeting and Financial Management.

Chris Minichello is a real estate investment professional, with a focus on large-scale deal structuring and acquisitions opportunities. As an associate on the development team at The Peebles Corporation, he uses his broad range of skills, from deal sourcing and joint venture coordination to debt analysis and asset management, to consistently deliver outstanding results for the company. Mr. Minichello works hand-in-hand with debt and equity providers to optimize the capital stack on a deal-by-deal basis, devise complex structuring solutions for JV partners and identify recap opportunities for challenging assets. Mr. Minichello's expertise is further enhanced by his substantial transaction experience. His co-investment efforts alone exceed $1.3 billion, while his total acquisition and development experience surpasses $2.5 billion in total asset value. Prior to joining TPC, he worked as an investment associate at Carter Funds where he was involved in all aspects of the real estate investment life cycle and portfolio management.

 Mr. Minichello holds a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Finance from Florida Gulf Coast University.

Erika Avila serves as the gatekeeper to The Peebles Corporation’s Chairman and CEO, R. Donahue Peebles. She also serves as the direct liaison to all other departments of The Peebles Corporation.

Prior to her position as Executive Assistant, Ms. Avila served as accounts payable associate, where she handled various accounting duties for Mr. Peebles, The Peebles Corporation, and project-specific payables, as well as minor administrative duties for the office and staff.

Ms. Avila holds an AA in Biology from Miami Dade College and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Florida International University.

Stephen Bridges, a Miami native, serves as the administrative assistant to The Peebles Corporation. With almost a decade of experience in the real estate and hospitality industries, Mr. Bridges has a proven track record of organizational skills, an ability to streamline processes, provide executive support, and a gift for fostering relationships.

Prior to his role at The Peebles Corporation, Mr. Bridges provided administrative support to the Keller Williams Team in Miami Shores as well as support to some of the most upscale hotel properties in South Florida, including Eden Roc and JW Marriott.