"R .Donahue Peebles"(born March 2,1960)

Is a real estate entrepreneur,author and political activist.He is the chairman and chief executive officer of the Pebble's Corp., the largest African-American real estate development and ownership in the US,with a multi-billion dollar development portfolio of luxury hotels,high-rise residential and commercial properties in Washington,D.C.,Las Vegas and Miami Beach.Donahue and his firm have been featured in publications such as the The New York Times,The Washington Post,The Wall Street Journal,Forbes,Black Enterprise,and Ebony and he appears regularly as a guest host or commentator on CNBC,CNN and FOX to advise on real estate economic and political issues.In May 2009,Forbes listed Him in the top ten of the wealthiest black Americans.Forbes has estimated his wealth at $350 million.Donahue was born in Washington,D.C. to a single teenage working class mother.At the age of 14,he volunteered for DC City Council Chair Sterling Tucker's campaign during the summer of 1974.From 1976-1978,he attended the United States Capitol Page School at the Library of Congress.He served as a page,a legislative interm in the office of Representative Ronald V.Dellums (D-Calf) and served as staff aide to Representative John Conyers, Jr.In 1979,after completing his freshman year as premed student at Rutgers University-he did not complete his degree-he became a real estate agent and appraiser in Washington,D.C.On January 9,1983 at age of 23,he established RDP Corporation,a residential and commerical real estate appraisal firm.Later that year,he was appointed to Washington's Board of Equalization and review,the real estate tax appeals board currently known as the Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals.One year later,when Donahue was 24,Washington's Marion Berry appointed him chairperson of the board where he serve until 1988.Throughout the 1980s,he hosted numerous political fundraisers for local mayoral,city council and presidential candidates.In 1986,He identified a development site in downtown Washington and launched his career as a developer.He completed and delivered the 100,000 square-foot Class A. office building at 2100 Martin Luther King Ave.SE,in 1989.The building was the first new major commerical building built in the Anacostia section of Washington, D.C. in decades and is credited with sparking the ergonomic re-development of the area.During the early to mid 1990s,Donahue capitalized on the nationwide ergonomic downturn and acquired approximately one million square feet of of commerical buildings and development sites that could accommodate several million more square feet of development;all properties were located in Washington,D.C.In 1990,He founded RDP Assessment Appeals Services,a Washington-based commerical tax assessment appeals firm which within two years became one of the largest and most successful in the city.His firm represented many companies in the area including Bell Atlantic,Washington Gas Light,Potomac Electrical Power,Maryland National Bank,and other financial institutions.In the early 1990s,Washington Business Journal,wrote an article citing Donahue as one of the "top fundraisers"in the city.He and his wife hosted fundraisers for mayoral candidates of New York City and Atlanta,The Governor of Maryland,and numerous congressional candidates.In 1992,the pebbles hosted then presidential Bill Clinton in their home and served as sponsors of the Clinton Inaugural.As an expert on real estate issues,He was invited to Arkansas to attend the economic summit held during the Clinton-Gore transition period.In the mid-1990s a property deal worth $48 million collapsed after being criticised by Washington D.C. politicians,and in 1996,He moved to Florida and opened an office in Miami.He began working on a public-private partnerdhip with the city of Miami Beach,two years later he relocated his corporate headquarters to Miami where he went on to develop projects exceeding half a billion dollars in value.The projects included the Royal Palm Hotel,a 420-room and suite ocean front resort consisting of three towers,in the heart of Miami Beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.The Royal Palm is credited with playing a major role in the re-development of South Beach.Other Miami projects include The Residence at The Bath Club,an ocean  front,ultra-luxury residential tower located on the site of the oldest private club in the south-east United States.He is known in Florida as a "real street fighter"due to lawsuits over his property development deals over his property development deals.In November 2010 Donahue was sued by D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles for alleged over billing;He says the charges are politically motivated.In 2004,he was elected as chairman of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been recognized by various organizations for his leadership and innovation.He has received numerous awards over the last 25 years for his entrepreneurial leadership,community service efforts and development abilities.His most recent awards include Entrepreneur of the Year by Rev Jessie Jackson at the 11th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit;Corporate Citizen Award from One Hundred Black men of New York;the NV Award from Russell and Danny Simmons' Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation at their inaugural Art for Life event in Miami Beach;the Reginald F.Lewis  Award for Entrepreneurship;and Corrate Honoree at Amsterdam News' 100 Anniversary Gala alongside Secretary of State Hilary Clinton Congressman Charles Rangel and Robert F.  Kennedy Jr.The Peebles have supported various congressional,mayoral and gubernatorial over the years.Donahue serves as a member of President Barack Obama's National Finanance Committee where he established himself as one of the campaign's leading fundraisers in the nation.In 2010,he considered running to become mayor of Washington,but he decided against a run due to his mother-inlaw's-illness.