Larry A. Mizel

Larry A. Mizel graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1964, and with a JD degree from the University of Denver - College of Law in 1967.

In 1972, Mr. Mizel founded the company that became M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.(MDC), one of the nation’s top homebuilders and a New York Stock Exchange-listed company. He serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MDC, parent-corporation of Richmond American Homes. Under his tenure, MDC realized revenues of nearly $5 billion in 2005 and over the past decade, has consistently maintained one of the strongest financial positions in the industry. MDC has the distinction of being one of the few homebuilding-based companies to receive an investment-grade rating from all three rating agencies.

Mr. Mizel was a founder, and until 1996, Chairman of the Board of Asset Investors Corporation(AIC), a New York Stock Exchange-listed real estate investment trust, and of Commercial Assets Inc. (CAX), a real estate investment trust that traded on the American Stock Exchange. In addition, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Omnibank, a multibank holding company, until its sale to KeyCorp in 1995.

Mr. Mizel has been actively involved in many charitable, religious and community causes. He is a life member of The Council on Foreign Relations,an independent, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to helping people better understand the world and foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries.

As one of the founders of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Mr. Mizel has served as the International Chairman of the Board of Trustees since 2003. Based in Los Angeles, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international human rights organization that promotes tolerance and combats racism and anti-Semitism around the world. Its educational arm, the Museum of Tolerance, a recipient of the 2004 Tolerance Award given at the United Nations, is a world-class human rights laboratory and learning center dedicated to challenging visitors to confront important contemporary issues. The Simon Wiesenthal Center is accredited as a non-governmental organization (NGO) at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament.

Mr. Mizel is a member of the board of directors of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which works to help make Israel more secure by ensuring that American support remains strong.

In 1986, Mr. Mizel founded and served as the inaugural chairman of Colorado Concern, an organization committed to promoting sustainable business growth and advancing the economic well-being of Colorado.

Mr. Mizel is the founder of the Mizel Museumin Denver, Colorado, which provides regular artistic and educational programs that promote community understanding and tolerance for residents of the Rocky Mountain region.

Mr. Mizel founded, as a part of the Mizel Museum and corresponding Mizel Institute,The Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (The CELL) in 2004. The CELL is a non-profit institution dedicated to addressing the most important global issue of our time — terrorism. Located in Denver, Colorado, the CELL opened its state-of-the-art facility in 2008 with the purpose of educating citizens on the realities of today’s global terrorism threats, seeking to empower individuals and organizations with knowledge and tools to help them proactively affect positive change. It is the only exhibit of its kind in the world.

Mr. Mizel also founded the Mizel Arts and Culture Center(The MACC) located in Denver at the Jewish Community Center. The MACC illuminates the human experience through creative and cultural programs in the performing, visual, and literary arts for the Jewish community and the community at large.

As a founding member of The Denver Rustlers, Mr. Mizel works with other Colorado business leaders to support youth in the community. From raising scholarship money, to supporting participants at the Junior Livestock Sale at the annual Colorado State Fair, to opening the Denver Rustlers Kids Café in 1994 to combat childhood hunger, this organization strives to make a difference in children’s lives.

Over the years, Mr. Mizel has been the recipient of recognition by various organizations. In 1987, he received the National Humanitarian Awardfrom National Jewish Health, a global leader in the research and treatment of respiratory, immune and related diseases. In 1996, Mr. Mizel was named Honorary Dean of the University of Denver’s Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management. In 2001, he was one of the recipients of the distinguished Ellis Island Medal of Honor which pays tribute to the immigrant experience and individual achievement. Honorees are listed in the Congressional Record. In 2002, he was awarded the title Honorary Irishman by the Ancient Order of Hiberians, a Catholic-Irish-American Fraternal Organization founded in 1836, for his work in supporting the Heroes of 9-11. In 2005, Mr. Mizel received the Defenders of Freedom Award from the National Homeland Defense Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to securing freedom in the fields of homeland defense and security. In 2010, he was awarded The Ben S. Wendelken Special Trustees' Award by Colorado’s El Pomar Foundation for embodying the spirit of service and giving through his life’s work. In 2011, he received the Steve Ross Lifetime Achievement Award from the Milken Institute, was named a Colorado State Patrol Honorary Colonel, and in 2018, he was entered into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame.

Larry Mizel and his wife Carol reside in Denver and have two grown children and six grandchildren.