Legacy Partners, a privately held national real estate firm, regretfully announces the passing of their admired leader W. Dean Henry who has been Chief Executive Officer since 2012. Guy Hays, Legacy’s President, will now succeed him in the role of CEO while retaining his current role, as well.
“We lost a great man, an extremely capable man who was an icon in the industry, and a man loved by many,” said C. Preston Butcher, Legacy Partners Chairman. “Dean will always be in the hearts and minds of our wonderful company.”
“Having worked alongside him for 30 years, I believe Guy Hays exemplifies much of what Dean imbued to us all, and I am very proud to see him assume this leadership role,” added Preston. “I have every confidence he will carry the Legacy torch to increased growth for both our talented team and the national portfolio of communities we develop and manage.”
Dean had been involved exclusively in multifamily real estate acquisitions/development, financing, asset and property management, and dispositions since 1969. He joined the Western Region of Lincoln Property Company, Legacy’s predecessor organization, in 1973.
“Dean was a giant in the real estate industry who leaves a tremendous imprint across a national multifamily portfolio and as a leader who touched every person at Legacy Partners,” said Guy Hays, Legacy Partners CEO and President. “He had a depth of experience in both development and property management, a born leader who was compelled to be involved in the community, and a singularly loyal friend. His presence will be missed – and I plan to employ the skills I learned from his leadership as we continue to grow our company.”
Dean served on the Executive Committee of the National Multifamily Housing Council, and was a member of the Policy Advisory Board of the Center for Real Estate at the University of California at Berkeley.
During his career he was Chairman of the YMCA of San Francisco and served as a board member since 2003. He served as the Chairman of the Multifamily Leadership Board of the National Association of Home Builders, was an active member of the Urban Land Institute, and board member of Mercy Housing, a non-profit affordable housing organization which has participated in the development, preservation and/or financing of thousands of affordable homes in the United States.
Guy joined Legacy in 1986 and was appointed President in 2012. In 2019 he was instrumental in the recapitalization of the firm with Collier Enterprises, a private equity, real estate investment and development company located in Naples, Florida which led to the expansion of development activities from primarily the Western United States to Orlando, Florida, and acquiring property for development in Hawaii.
Prior to joining Legacy Partners in 1986, he was with Kenneth Leventhal and Company, a CPA firm in Dallas, Texas specializing in real estate. Guy is an active member of the National Multifamily Housing Council and serves on the Multifamily Leadership Board of the National Association of Home Builders and is a member of the Urban Land Institute.
About Legacy Partners
Legacy Partners (Legacy), a privately held real estate firm founded in 1968 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, owns, develops, and manages multifamily communities throughout the United States. Legacy has regional offices in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Washington, and has developed more than 66,000 apartment homes in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Since inception, Legacy has worked with some of the world’s largest financial institutions, life insurance companies, and real estate companies, consistently delivering exceptional results.
Legacy provides management services for its own portfolio, as well as other owners. Combined, Legacy manages a portfolio of over 50 multifamily communities with more than 12,000 apartment homes, and with a gross value in excess of $3 billion. For further information, please visit legacypartners.com.
