John McDonald is Chairman and CEO of McDonald Development Company. Mr. McDonald founded and owns McDonald Development Company and the related business entities under the McDonald brand. He directs the company’s vision, strategy and organizational structure. He establishes and develops joint venture partnerships and oversees the development, operations, and management of all assets in the company’s portfolio with a respected team of senior management.

Over the past 40 years, Mr. McDonald has master-planned 3,600 acres, 42 business parks, 330 institutional quality facilities and 50 million square feet in partnership with individuals and institutional investors. His investment partners have included internationally recognized institutions such as The Church of England, GE Capital, Heller Financial, Inc., Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Mutual of New York, New England Mutual Life Insurance Co., and New York Life Insurance Company.

John McDonald has held a number of key roles in the real estate industry. Widely recognized for his expertise and leadership in the industrial real estate specialty, he was a founding member of the NAIOP National Forum for Industrial Development and the National Real Estate Committee’s Chairman Roundtable Executive Committee. As a member of the Urban Land Institute, he served on the (ULI) Industrial Office Park Council. He was selected as “Industrial Developer of the Year” by NAIOP. National Real Estate Investor, the industry’s leading publication, recognizes him annually as a Top 25 Industrial Developer in the United States, a list that includes both publicly traded and privately held companies. In addition, he serves his community locally, regionally, and internationally in various board positions including the Goizuetta School of Business Advisory Board/Emory University, the Emory University School of Medicine Advisory Board, and the University of Richmond Board of Trustees where he earned his Masters of Commerce. Mr. McDonald was awarded knighthood in The Royal Norwegian Order of Merit by His Majesty King Harald V for his service as US Honorary Consul of Norway.