In 2007 the Center established a new award to recognize the up and coming leaders of Real Estate; the Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year.  This annual award will recognize its recipients by a plaque  housed in the College of Business, Rockwell Hall.

 

2009
Christopher King

Chris is the President of DPC Development Company, a long standing investor, owner, and developer, of commercial properties in Colorado.  Chris holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Finance) from Colorado State University.

As President of DPC, Chris is responsible for the direction, and success, of the company’s 2 million square feet of commercial properties, including office, warehouse and retail projects.

Significant front-range projects include the redevelopment of the University Mall in Fort Collins, the ownership of the Quebecore Manufacturing Facility in Loveland, and various participations in office, retail and residential land developments.

Chris has over 25 years of experience in acquiring and developing over 115 buildings valued in excess of $400 million.  He has purchased both for-rent and for-sale multi-family projects, and has negotiated leases and sales with major companies such as Wal-Mart, Siemens, Citicorp and the U S Government. 

Chris is involved in various civic organizations. He has chaired committees for NAIOP, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Norwest Banks.  He is an active board member for the Everitt Real Estate Center, and sits on various advisory boards.  Chris speaks often in finance and real estate classes at CSU and Miami University (Ohio), as well as various panels for NAIOP, ICSC, and the CU/DU real estate events.

Chris takes pride in his family, and he and his wife Sandy have 5 girls.

2008
Randy Nichols
Randy Nichols is President and Founder of The Nichols Partnership, Inc. The company is based in Denver, Colorado and specializes in the development of commercial and multi-family real estate. With over 25 years of experience in real estate development, brokerage and management, Mr. Nichols started his career in real estate brokerage in 1981 with LaSalle Partners. He established the Nichols Partnership in 1993 to pursue commercial development opportunities in Colorado. Since 1993, the Nichols Partnership has developed 1.5M square feet of commercial space and over 1000 units of housing including such prominent projects as “Clayton Lane”, “1899 Wynkoop”, the “Manor Homes at Cherry Creek” and “Spire”.

Mr. Nichols holds a Masters degree in real estate development from MIT and a Bachelors degree in business from CSU. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the MIT Center for Real Estate, on the Board of the CU Leeds School of Business and Chairman of the CU Real Estate Center.
2007
Chad McWhinney

Chad has been engaged in the real estate industry for over 15 years. As Co-Founder & CEO, he is responsible for establishing and implementing the company's mission, vision and core values and overseeing the company's business development strategies. Since 1991, McWhinney has created several master-planned communities consisting of over 5,000 acres of land and developed more than 3.3 million square feet of office, industrial, medical, retail and residential properties throughout the Rocky Mountain Region and West Coast. In 2003, McWhinney's signature community, Centerra, was named the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties (NAIOP) Colorado Chapter's Development of the Year.

Chad’s community activities and recognitions include:

  • 9News Leader of the Year by Colorado Channel 9 KUSA
  • Bravo! Entrepreneur of the Year by the Northern Colorado Business Report
  • Rising Business Star by the Fort Collins Coloradoan
  • Director of the Poudre Valley Health System Foundation
  • Past Board Member of the Colorado State University System Board of Governors
  • Past Director of the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties (NAIOP) Colorado Chapter
  • Past Director of Centennial Bank of the West and Guaranty Bank & Trust Company
  • Past Director of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation

Chad’s personal mission is "to create a better world."
Colorado State University | College of Business | 1201 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523
The Campaign for Colorado State University