2006 Honorary Degree
Thomas L. Hefner
Doctor Of Management
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The longtime Indianapolis resident is currently the owner of Hefner Investments after propelling Duke Realty Corporation through mergers and growth into its position as one of the giants in the industry.
Hefner came to Purdue from Crown Point, Ind., and earned a bachelor of arts degree in industrial management in 1970.
He began his career at Continental Bank in Chicago and moved to Indiana National Bank in the commercial banking group before becoming a senior vice president with Indiana Mortgage Corporation.
Hefner entered the real estate market in 1978 and joined Duke Associates as a managing general partner in 1981. When Duke reorganized as a publicly traded real estate investment trust in 1993, he became president and chief executive officer of Duke Realty Investments, and when Duke merged with Weeks Corp. in 1999, he became chairman and chief executive officer of Duke-Weeks Realty Corp.
Hefner announced well in advance that he would step down from day-to-day management and outlined the team of his successors. He stepped down as CEO in 2004 and as chairman in 2005 when he formed Hefner Investments LLC.
Under Hefner’s leadership, Duke Realty became one of the largest mixed office/industrial real estate companies in the United States with more than $800 million in annual revenue from approximately 4,000 tenants.
Hefner joined the Krannert Dean’s Advisory Council in 1999 and spoke at the Krannert Executive Forum in 1995 and 2000. He is serving on the steering committee of the Indianapolis portion of the Campaign for Purdue and has been a major benefactor for Krannert.
He is active in inner city housing and education issues across the state, serving on Indiana’s Education Roundtable. Through his leadership, Duke Realty has donated invaluable construction resources to charitable projects in Central Indiana, including the United Way, the Children’s Guardian Home and Lutheran Child and Family Services.