Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable Hosts Ceremony To Honor Ken Michael, Milt Peterson, and Dr. Alvin Thornton

By Kristina Townsend

The Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable hosted something unique when it met November 11 by leading a reception for three historic contributors to the county and state: Ken Michael, real estate developer, founder and owner of NAI Michael company, Dr. Alvin Thornton, creator of the Thornton Principles in Maryland and Milt Peterson, founder and former president and CEO of The Peterson companies.

Peterson was recognized posthumously and was represented by his son, Jon Peterson.

Michael, Peterson, and Thornton were each awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for their work that altered and elevated the trajectory of Prince George’s County. Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable President and CEO Jim Estepp presented the award to the three recipients whose work led to resounding impacts on the county and region.

Michael launched The Kenneth H. Michael Companies, Inc., now NAI Michael Companies, in 1973. He also has been involved as a consultant in commercial and industrial projects which now include in excess of 12 million square feet of gross building area. In 2016, he was inducted into the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s Business Hall of Fame. The Hall features prominent CEOs and leaders who are inducted for their outstanding leadership and contribution to Maryland businesses and communities.

Estepp addressed Michael at the ceremony, noting his many accomplishments throughout his career.

“You were in the Air Force,” Estepp began speaking to the veteran developer before an audience of some 60 regional and county leaders. “I believe you were in lab work in the Air Force, which people would not quickly associate with you. You've developed a reputation of not only knowing what to build and when to build, but how to survive during rough times and during periods of recession. I think it speaks to the longevity of your company, celebrating a very special anniversary now. It speaks to the philanthropy that you've done.” NAI has a team of over 60 professionals that are active in various local and national organizations, including civic, faith-based, political and economic development organizations. Many community-support oriented events around Prince George’s County end up gaining the support of NAI.

“I’m deeply honored that you wrote this,” Michael said after listening to the inscription on the award which was read by Roundtable Chair Michael Chiaramonte. “Thank you very much,” Michael humbly replied.

Attention shifted to Jon Peterson who now leads the company his father launched over 50 years ago.

The late Milt Peterson is patriarch of The Peterson Companies, launched in 1965, and the person who established the Peterson Family Foundation in 1997. Peterson is most publicly recognized for developing National Harbor, the $4 billion destination attraction based in Oxon Hill.

**Dr. Alvin Thornton, Ken Michael and Jon Peterson PHOTO: RAOUL DENNIS // PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE & MEDIA**

Peterson is also known for serving over sixteen years on the Governor’s Economic Advisory Board (under four Virginia governors), chairing and serving eight years on the Fairfax Economic Development Authority and chairing the Board of Trustees at Middlebury College for five years and then serving on the board for another twenty-four years. At the time, he donated and raised significant funds for revitalization of the college’s staff and campus, including new athletic and science facilities.

“There was something about Milt Peterson that led me to believe, ‘No, this is not going to be the same thing,’” Estepp said. “This person is sincere, is dedicated to the cause and intends to do what he says. We have to do what we can to try to take down some of the obstacles that surely are going to be thrown up in his way.”

“The work that, Jon, you and your family and your dad and your sister and others did just in establishing the Schar Center at Inova Hospital has helped countless people and saved countless lives, like so many of our medical institutions here in the county have done. Without your dad's involvement in that, I doubt very seriously that project would have gotten off the ground.”

The Schar Center is the Cancer Institute of Inova based in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

“It’s those kinds of things and that continuing commitment, that struggle to get through, to have the courage, to have the perseverance that brought this incredible project that now has MGM and has that series of beautiful hotels there wouldn't have happened without Milt Peterson. It wouldn't have happened without his family and the support that he receives from the majority of the community,” Estepp said.

“He liked tough things,” said Peterson’s son, Jon Peterson. “He definitely wanted to make a difference in the community and he accomplished it, so thank you for this in his honor.”

Dr. Alvin Thornton is recognized as one of the most notable thinkers and education leaders in Maryland history. One of his most notable achievements is how he has contributed to the expansion of democratic rights in Prince George's County, chairing citizens' committees that addressed redistricting and police accountability. He also chaired the Maryland Commission on Education Finance, Equity and Adequacy and Excellence, which reformed the state's secondary education financing and accountability system, and was a three-term chair of the Prince George's County, Maryland Board of Education. In addition, Thorton chaired the 2009-10 historic Howard University Presidential Commission on Academic Renewal (PCAR), and the executive committee of the university's 2009 Middle States Commission on Higher Education Self-Study Report.

“Dr. Thornton never shied away from any challenge that he has faced, never shied away from doing tough things,” said Estepp. “He and I worked well together. I learned so much from him, so much about the education system that I didn't know, a lot of the intricacies and the constituencies, and just so many things.”

He went on to say: “We came out of a 25-year busing order during Wayne Curry's tenure and during the period that I'm talking about, something that was a very tough period for the county in terms of transition, the cost, the transportation, moving lots of folks around when maybe the time to do that had ended.”

“It was people like Alvin Thornton and Wayne Curry and others who had the courage to face those things head-on and face the community that led to the types of decision-making that I think helped our system. Dr. Thornton chaired a state commission that was so unique, for the first time in the state's history… operating monies were provided to local school systems as opposed to capital monies to build buildings.”

“Then Dr. Thornton, at the request of County Executive Alsobrooks, went back at one of the most tumultuous times of our school board history and our school system and took the job of chair of the board again. In doing so, took on a lot of challenges, both generational and otherwise, that were remarkable.”

“I want to thank everyone for recognizing that children are the future that we will never see,” said Dr. Thornton. “We have an obligation to make sure they are prepared to encounter it… Thank you for recognizing the role that I have played over the years in this.”