Jeff Blackard

Jeffory Blackard is an entrepreneur and real estate developer working primarily in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. His developments include Adriatica,[1] in which he intends to reproduce the look and feel[2] of an old-world southern European village[3] (most notably, an Adriatic coast Croatian village) in Texas.

Jeff Blackard
Jeff Blackard while on a philanthropic trip to Africa
Born
Jeffory Dean Blackard

(1957-12-15) December 15, 1957
Peoria, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Alma materNorthwestern University
OccupationReal Estate Developer and CEO of Blackard Global
Years active1981–present
Political partyIndependent
AwardsFriend of Croatia, Environmental Commendation from the United States Department of the Interior
Websiteblackard.net

Early life

Jeff Blackard was born in Peoria, Illinois to Richard and Janice Blackard. Blackard was the state decathlon champion for 3 years running while in High School at Argenta-Oreana High School.[4] Blackard was also the all-time leading scorer for his high school team and was recognized as a notable alumnus and in the school's hall of fame.[5] He went to Northwestern University on a track and field scholarship which turned into a basketball scholarship during his sophomore year. Blackard was later recognized as one of Northwestern's 100 most notable graduates for his work in philanthropy and his theory of village evolution, Neoretroism.[6]

Real Estate

After graduating from Northwestern University in 1981, Blackard moved south to Texas and worked for Cambridge Companies[7] before being made partner at age 26 and eventually leaving to develop over 15,000 single homes through the completion of projects including Lakes on Legacy,[8] Griffin Parc[8] and Pirates Beach and Cove[9] in Galveston, Texas. In addition to an early focus on master-planned communities, Blackard also developed projects including multi-family complexes, office parks, retail, restaurants and resorts totaling over $2 billion in asset creation.

After buying an interest in properties on the coast of Croatia, Blackard has focused much of his work on the evolution process of a village.[10] Adriatica, a $350 million vertically integrated, mixed-use development,[11] is located in McKinney, Texas. Adriatica takes its inspiration from the Croatian fishing village of Supetar on the island of Brač.[12]

In the time since the Great Recession, in addition to advising other real estate developers on the creation of villages, Blackard has undertaken new villages like Entrada in Westlake, Texas,[13] Barisi[14] and the revitalization of North Beach[15] in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Wolf Lakes in Georgetown, Texas.

Environmentalism

Blackard received an environmental commendation from the United States Department of the Interior in association with the Delhide Cove Protection and Restoration Project that he undertook in the early 2000s.[16]

Blackard also donated an island North of Lafitte's Cove in Galveston, renamed The Robert M. “Bob” Moore Wildlife Sanctuary,[17] to the Galveston Bay Foundation in 2007 for the conservation, protection, and enhancing of the South Texas Wetlands.[18]

Political Activism

Blackard is also an independent political activist, who supported 2012 United States Presidential candidate Rick Santorum in response to his stalwartly Christian policy positions. Blackard worked to bring Santorum to his village in McKinney, Adriatica, shortly after a successful Super Tuesday in 2012 with Santorum leading in the polls. The Dallas Morning News quoted Bud Kennedy, longtime reporter for the Star Telegram and Dallas Morning News, saying of Blackard, "He helped plan Santorum’s euphoric visit to staunchly evangelical Collin County."[19]

In 2017 Blackard was awarded the Friend of Croatia Award from the Association of Croatian American Professionals. He is a notable influencer in the politics of Croatia, having arranged meetings with high-level officials in American Politics[20] and the president of Croatia[21] and lobbying for a double taxation avoidance treaty.

Philanthropy
Jeff Blackard (top left) on the riverboat Linda Esperanca in Brazil in 2003.

In the mid 1990s Blackard started the organization Amazon Outreach, a Christian charity with whom he built a 90-foot river boat to provide medical services to underserved areas of the Amazon River Basin.[22] Blackard has also traveled to over 50 countries with e3 Partners,[23] a mission organization known for its "I am Second" campaign,[24] including Ethiopia.[25]

Personal

Blackard resides East of Dallas on his ranch in Sulphur Springs, Texas with his wife Donna. He has five children. He is an Evangelical Christian.

gollark: Since obviously you wouldn't actually check in your own git repository by *accident*.
gollark: As I said, I assumed you *deliberately* did that as a bluff.
gollark: I know, right?
gollark: No, I like pattern matching.
gollark: You're wrong! This is not in accordance with the gollark algorithm!

References
  1. "Jeff Blackard Is on a Mission – D Magazine". dmagazine.com. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  2. "Adriatica: America's Most Surreal Development? | Washington City Paper". washingtoncitypaper.com. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  3. "kSh Webserver Default Page: It works". Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  4. "The Decatur Daily Review from Decatur, Illinois on April 12, 1978 · Page 89". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  5. File:Article_about_the_early_career_of_Jeffory_Blackard.pdf
  6. "Notable Alumni | Northwestern University School of Communication". communication.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  7. File:Jeff_Blackard_Off_and_Winning_in_the_busines_world.jpg
  8. "Blackard plans $100 million town center project in Frisco - Dallas Business Journal". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  9. "A Line in the Sand" (PDF).
  10. Perez, Christine (2015-04-17). "The Evolution of Mixed-Use". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  11. "Adriatica Croatian Village in Mckinney, Texas USA, founded by Jeffory D. Blackard". croatia.org. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
  12. "Adriatica Croatian Village in Mckinney, Texas USA, founded by Jeffory D. Blackard". croatia.org. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  13. "Entrada project in Westlake is beginning to take shape | The Star-Telegram". star-telegram.com. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  14. "Pharaoh Valley Development Proponents Get Signatures for Support - KiiiTV.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend". kiiitv.com. 2014-07-23. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  15. "The future of North Beach". KIII. Retrieved 2019-08-15.
  16. "PIRATES Beach & Cove -- Galveston, Texas". piratesgalveston.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  17. info@bobmoorelaw.com. "Galveston Texas Criminal Defense Attorney | Galveston Traffic Tickets | Personal Injury | Galveston Unlawful Driving". bobmoorelaw.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  18. "Robert M. "Bob" Moore Wildlife Sanctuary". guidrynews.com. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  19. Jones, Rodger. "I was half wrong about Rick Santorum". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  20. "Vicenco Blagaić tvrdi da je upravo on, preko Jefforyja Blackarda, Kolindi Grabar-Kitarović sredio sastanke u Americi - Dnevnik.hr". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  21. "Businessman Bonded Croatia President to Trump Team :: Balkan Insight". balkaninsight.com. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  22. "Reaching out in the rainforest". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2017-06-22.
  23. "e3 PARTNERS | MISSION & IMPACT". e3 PARTNERS. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  24. Second, I Am (2012-08-16). "I Am Second". I Am Second. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
  25. "In Search of the Lost Ark". D Magazine. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
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