Steve Betts is the Managing Director of Development for Holualoa Companies, a 35-year old real estate investment and development company which has a prominent portfolio of commercial properties throughout the Phoenix and Tucson markets as part of its three-quarters of a billion dollars in national and international real estate holdings. Betts had previously been working with Holualoa as a senior advisor. In his current role, Betts is responsible for new development and redevelopment projects undertaken by Holualoa, as well as working to pursue new investment opportunities for the firm.

Betts is also Founder/President of Betts Real Estate Advisors, where he serves as counsel to Concord Wilshire Capital, redeveloper of Metrocenter Mall, and has served as a senior advisor to Hines Development Southwest Region and the PHX Rising and Fortuitous Fund, and as development director for Helios Education Foundation. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Tejon Ranch Company (NYSE:TRC), and the Chairman of the University Realty (ASU) Board of Directors.

Mr. Betts is the retired President and CEO of the SunCor Development Company, the former half-billion dollar plus asset base subsidiary of the Fortune 1000 Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, and developer of master planned communities throughout the Mountainwest and large-scale office, industrial, retail and mixed use urban projects in metropolitan Phoenix. He served as President for the year of 2005, and President and CEO from 2006 through May of 2010. During his five-year tenure leading SunCor, the company experienced unprecedented growth, and Mr. Betts was named Developer of the Year by the Arizona Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Park Developers (2008), as well as a Most Admired CEO by the Phoenix Business Journal (2009, inaugural year for the award), and his company was awarded Developer of the Year by Southwest Contractor Magazine (2007). Annual highlights during his tenure include:

Assets: $670 million
Net worth: $290 million
Net income/annual: $60.5 million
Total revenues: $445 million

After selling SunCor, Betts signed on to assist the ASU Foundation to be more strategic in real estate acquisition and development as its Senior VP and Managing Director of Assets. Subsequently, he served for five years as Director of Development for Chanen Development Company, and briefly as CEO of the PhoenixMart project. He is a board member of the Arizona Community Foundation, has served as Co-Chair of Governor Ducey’s Transition Committee for State Lands and Parks, Chairman and current Trustee to the Nature Conservancy, chaired the Urban Land Institute AZ District Council and serving on its Advisory Board, served as Chairman and board member for the Teach for America AZ Board, serves on the Greater Phoenix Economic Council Executive Committee, appointed by the Governor to the Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance, Chaired the Interstate-11 Coalition, Vice-Chaired the AZ Town Hall and served as Deputy Campaign Manager and Senior Advisor for Senator John McCain.

Steve has served in lead roles on several landmark legislative enactments in Arizona, including the Growing Smarter Acts, the Tourism and Sports Authority Act and the Community Facilities District Act.

He was the recipient of the 1989 and 1999 Planning Recognition Award from the American Planning Association, a 2000 Governor’s Proclamation for State Planning Initiatives, a 2015 AFP Spirit of Philanthropy Award and 2021 Phoenix Zoo Good Partner Award, and is a frequent speaker locally, regionally and nationally on development and policy issues.

Prior to joining SunCor, Steve was a shareholder with Phoenix law firm Gallagher & Kennedy and headed the firm’s land use/governmental affairs practice group. He received his undergraduate degree with honors from Augustana College and his law degree with honors from the De Paul University School of Law.