Don Peebles keynotes D.C. Chamber of Commerce event

by Jonathan O'Connell Staff Reporter, Washington Business Journal - Don Peebles, the real estate mogul and D.C. native, will be the keynote speaker at a major annual meeting of local industry leaders, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce’s 2010 Business Summit and Expo.

Peebles has flirted with the idea of running for mayor against Adrian Fenty, who is up for re-election this year. After months of planning a campaign, however, he announced in January that his mother-in-law was ailing from cancer and that he needed to attend to his family.

The summit is planned for May 20 at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Hotel.

In a news release from the chamber, Peebles said the event was an important opportunity to “exchange ideas and learn more about the challenges facing the American entrepreneur.”

“I appreciate the opportunity to speak with these businessmen and women at the summit, and I’m excited to see the solutions that will be generated there,” he said.

Peebles, a frequent guest on CNBC, could be a big ticket seller for the chamber, which is enduring decreased membership and arguing that the city ought to provide more business-friendly policies.

Barbara Lang, president and CEO of the chamber, said in the release that, “As one of America’s most successful businessmen and a native son of Washington, Don will surely offer a riveting perspective on the current state of business and the opportunities that exist for ambitious entrepreneurs.”

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