You know Gary Rappaport, Chief Executive Officer of Rappaport, is the former ICSC chairman, and a two-time author, but you probably didn’t know:

FAMILY: Gary is a man among …. women. He grew up with three sisters, now has five daughters (two who work at Rappaport) and 10 grandchildren. Fortunately, the male population in the Rappaport family grew with the arrival of four grandsons.

FIRST JOB: It’s a far cry from commercial real estate, but Gary’s first gig was making and flipping pizzas in Syracuse, New York (if you don’t count his childhood newspaper route). He’s always had an unparalleled work ethic, and since the days of cooking up a New York favorite, he’s built an extraordinary company one person at a time in McLean, Virginia.

HOBBIES: If work were a hobby, it would be his number one. Outside of the office, though, Gary loves going to the movies or reading (especially Tom Clancy books). He also enjoys fine art, watching sports, relaxing on vacation, and watching his children and grandchildren play team sports. But perhaps most surprising is he is GREAT on a snowboard!

GIVING BACK: Gary has often said, “In life, spend a 1/3 of your time with your family, 1/3 of your time dedicated to your business, and 1/3 of your time giving back to others.” These are words he lives by as a faithful supporter of Barker Foundation for Adoption, Youth for Tomorrow, Inova Hospital, Alzheimers Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Kennedy Center, and the American Heart Association. He also gives back in his own field of expertise with the hope of helping people achieve their dream of owning real estate. To do so, he has written and published two books and has spent 25 years teaching classes for institutions like ICSC’s University of Shopping Centers, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, American and George Mason Universities, as well as the University of Michigan and Georgetown Law Schools.

MOST MEMORABLE PROJECT: In 2002, Rappaport was awarded the R.F.P. to develop Skyland. Since then, he has attended every community meeting and has been invited to (and spent many evenings at) the homes of community members listening to residents. Without a doubt, he has made personal relationships and connected with the dreams and visions of the residents and as such this is his most memorable project.

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