Jon Peterson & Taylor Chess – Childhood Pals Now Company Leaders (#42)

Jon Peterson Bios Jon M. Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer of Peterson Companies, one of the largest, most-admired privately-held real estate companies in the Washington, DC area. Founded more than 52 years ago, the company is responsible for some of the most prominent and successful mixed-use retail, residential and office developments in Northern Virginia and Maryland including Fairfax Corner, Fair Lakes, National Harbor, Virginia Gateway, Downtown Silver Spring, RIO, Burke Centre and Tysons McLean Office Park. Jon has been instrumental in the development of National Harbor from an underutilized waterfront property to a mixed-use waterfront destination that is home to Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, MGM National Harbor, Tanger Outlets and The Capital Wheel. In 2016, he became Chairman of the Executive Committee which oversees all aspects of the retail, residential, commercial and mixed-use development and management. Prior to that, Jon served as Senior Vice President of Commercial and Business Development which allowed him to develop close ties to the entire metropolitan real estate community. He has led all aspects of build-to-suit, purchase and acquisition, sale, leasing and financing of commercial properties as well as the ground up development of approximately 3.5 million square feet of commercial office product in the Washington Metropolitan area. Jon graduated from Middlebury College, and he and the Peterson Family believe passionately in giving back to the communities they serve. Jon was a member on the George Mason University (GMU) Board of Visitors as Vice Rector and GMU’s Board of Trustees member from 2014-2018. He was also a board member of Washington First bank from 2014-2018. Currently, Jon serves on numerous philanthropic boards and committees including National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP); NAIOP Northern Virginia; Youth for Tomorrow Board of Trustees; George Mason Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship; Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance; The 2030 Group; The 123 Club; GMU Patriot Club Advisory Board; George Mason Housing, Inc.; Inova Health Systems Investment Advisory Committee; Prince William Commercial Development Committee; Virginia Association for Commercial Real Estate; Prince George’s County Roundtable Board...