Thomas S. Bozzuto

Bozzuto

Thomas S. Bozzuto is chairman and co-founder of The Bozzuto Group, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and Vietnam War veteran who has dedicated his career to real estate development and community service in the Baltimore-Washington region.

During his 50-year career in real estate, Bozzuto has overseen the creation of more than 60,000 residential units ranging from affordable to luxury high-rise developments. Under his leadership, The Bozzuto Group currently manages approximately 130,000 apartments and has earned recognition as Builder of the Year, Multifamily Development Firm of the Year and Property Management Company of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders. The firm was also honored as the MidAtlantic Contractor of the Year by ENR and named one of Multifamily Executive Magazine’s Ten Best Multifamily Companies for Which to Work.

Beyond his business achievements, Bozzuto has maintained extensive community involvement throughout his career. He currently serves as a member of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing’s Policy Advisory Board, a board member of the Greater Baltimore Committee and chairman of the Board of the Baltimore Community Foundation. Previously, he chaired the Citizens Planning and Housing Association, the Maryland Science Center, the Suburban Maryland Building Industry Association and the National Multifamily Housing Council, while serving as a Life Trustee of The Walters Art Museum.

When asked about the most important lesson learned as a leader in Maryland, Bozzuto said, “The single most important lesson I learned about leadership is that you must surround yourself with the best possible people, make sure they share your values, understand your goals and objectives and have the tools they need to get the job done, and then get out of their way and let them do it.”

Regarding significant challenges faced as a leader, Bozzuto noted that founding the company during an economic recession created unexpected opportunities, as the founders brought 15 years of housing industry experience to navigate difficult market conditions.

Bozzuto explained his approach to making a positive impact on Maryland: “By being willing to work as volunteers, we can only hope that we have been able to bring benefit to our community at least equal in measure to the benefit we’ve gotten as citizens of Maryland.”

An avid reader and fisherman, he consumes two to three books monthly and has fly-fished in more than a dozen countries on five continents. He has six grandchildren and tries to attend at least half of all their games and events. He maintains a garden where he grows garlic and tomatoes surrounded by fruit trees, harvesting almost 1,000 figs annually. Together with his wife Barbara, Bozzuto has established himself as a devoted patron of the arts and committed supporter of housing and community development nationally.

Honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by information provided by the honorees and other resources. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.