34 | FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE “A lot of guys are hot-headed,” Kathleen said, sitting beside her husband of nearly 30 years. “John just said, ‘It’s fine.’ That is how we met. You pick up on everything when you are on a date.” Three decades later, that damp, unflappable composure has become the foundation of one of Arizona’s most influential families. John maintains close ties with his former wife and older children, ensuring the whole family stays connected. And as the chairman and CEO of Sunbelt Holdings, his fingerprints are all over the physical evolution of the Valley landscape, from the master-planned community of McDowell Mountain Ranch to the glimmering towers of Marina Heights in Tempe. His professional impact is undeniable, earning him Phoenix Business Journal ’s Landmark Leader Lifetime Award. Together, John and Kathleen also form a philanthropic force that has reshaped the region’s nonprofit landscape, a commitment to community that led to John being named 2018 Man of the Year by Valley Leadership. Yet, if you ask them to define themselves, you certainly won’t hear words like “tycoon” or “socialite.” “I’m like the most average human being on the face of the earth,” John said. “I really believe that.” Kathleen nods in agreement. “We are homebodies.” It’s a charming contradiction: The couple who has served on over 65 combined boards, raised millions for charity, and steered the strategic future of the fifth-largest city in the country, would honestly prefer to just stay home. The Grahams are famously down-to-earth. Photo by Scott Foust Marina Heights in Tempe features 2 million square feet of office spaces and around 50,000 square feet of retail.

FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 35 To understand John Graham, you have to understand the Jesuits. Specifically, the ethos of Brophy College Preparatory. John, his two late brothers, his two sons, and his nephew all walked the halls of the Phoenix institution. “I regularly say that kind of what makes me, me , is Brophy,” John said. “It’s the ‘Men for Others’ mantra. I kiddingly call it the Brophy Mafia. No matter what age you are, you always have a big group of people who are supporters.” That education instilled a concept that has become a buzzword in modern business but remains a spiritual practice for the Grahams: servant leadership. It is the idea that power is a tool to be given away, not hoarded. This philosophy, combined with the stamina of a high- level competitor, explains why John was capable of running a company at 24. Long before he was a boardroom tactician, John was a standout athlete, excelling in baseball, football and rugby at the high school and collegiate levels. He brought that same discipline — the understanding that endurance and teamwork matter more than ego — into his career. His Norwegian business partner, Tor Andenaes, 14 years his senior, saw something in the athletic, young Stanford graduate — a willingness to listen and a lack of ego. “He definitely let me do stuff that no person in their right mind probably should have,” John said. Today, that leadership style manifests in a staggering breadth of community service. The Grahams keep an open mind about where they serve, provided the mission is pure. They champion healthcare (serving on boards for Banner Health, Dignity Health and Valleywise Health), the arts (the Heard Museum, Phoenix Art Museum and The Phoenix Symphony) and social services (St. Vincent de Paul and Valley of the Sun United Way). “We want good healthcare for everybody,” John said. “We’re agnostic about where you get it, but access to it is important to us.” Their most poignant work often happens quietly, away from the marble floors of fundraising galas. They are deeply passionate about Camp Catanese, a grassroots initiative started by a Maryvale educator to help underprivileged, first-generation students realize college is an option. “These kids didn’t have dreams because nobody planted the seed,” Kathleen said, her voice animated. “They didn’t know what a FAFSA form was. They didn’t know what the ACT was.” The Grahams don’t just write a check; they get involved. Their son, Will, serves on Camp Catanese’s medical staff. They attend graduations and hear how students who once saw no future beyond poverty get accepted to schools like Notre Dame, Harvard and Barrett, The Honors College at ASU. “We go to graduation every year, and you just bawl for two hours,” John said. The ‘Brophy Mafia’ and the Servant Leader John at his 1975 graduation from Brophy College Preparatory. John, chair of Brophy College Preparatory board of trustees, with son Justin at his Brophy graduation in 2007.