By Rafael Alvarez —Ed St. John has made it big – very big – in the arena America prizes above all others: substantial wealth acquired through hard work, ingenuity and competition. But that’s just what the casual observer may know about the Severna Park businessman who controls more than 14 million square feet of office, warehouse, research, industrial, retail and residential space in five states through St. John Properties.

It is the things that the 71-year-old St. John does with his success that helped him become the 2009 Corridor Person of the Year, an award voted on by readers of the magazine.

A man who looks for honesty in others, St. John is said to be worth more than a billion dollars. He has a policy – not a mere philosophy, but a corporate policy – of giving away 7.5 percent of his company’s gross earnings. His focus is K-through-12 educational programs across Maryland with grants distributed through the Edward St. John Foundation.

So far, some $42 million in cash or 
in-kind gifts, such as development 
counseling.

Known as a driven, hard-nosed businessman with a soft touch for those in need, St. John formed his charitable foundation after colleagues pointed out that focused giving would achieve greater goals than writing checks for just about any honest soul who asked.

"Our readers picked him from a pool of very talented leaders who made a tremendous impact in the region," said Corridor Inc. editor Jeni Mann.

"This is long deserved recognition for a respected businessman who’s brought tons of jobs to the region, who’s charitable giving has touched many lives."

The Corridor honor is far from the first award – and likely not the last – that the University of Maryland graduate has received.

[Honors such as being named Anne Arundel County’s "Philanthropist of the Year" in 2007 are not collected in one place nor are they on display. Unlike Elvis, St. John doesn’t have a trophy room, though he does like to go duck hunting.]

But the Corridor Inc. accolade, said St. John before a recent ski trip to Aspen, where he owns a home in addition to one on the Severn River, warmed his heart.

"This is a little more special because it’s from my peers, people in business and industry who voted for me, all of the people the magazine reaches," he said. "It’s great to know they appreciate what I do."

Those who voted could not agree more.

"I’m a parent at Chesapeake Senior High School and a mentor to the Robotics Team there," said Katherine Dougan, an engineer employed by the Northrop-Grumman in Linthicum.

"For two years, the St. John Foundation has supported our team with an in-kind donation of storefront space so the students could design and build their competitive robot."

An electrical engineer by training with a keen interest in inventions, St. John wanted to be a military test pilot when he was the age of the robot-building kids. He serves as chair of the Maryland Academy of Sciences, popularly known as the Maryland Science Center, where a hall is named in his honor.

[In 2004 alone, St. John gave $2 million to the Science Center.]

Dougan met St. John when he hosted a demonstration of the robot project at his corporate headquarters on Lord Baltimore Drive in the Windsor Mill area and found him to be genuine in a one-on-one way that some successful people are not. He also visited the team as they worked on their robot.

"He had a genuine interest in seeing and understanding what the students were doing and also in learning more about how our competition operates," said Dougan.

Tellingly, said Dougan, "not once did Mr. St. John ever mention his company’s name or its vast real estate holdings. I feel that his foundation is grounded in a true interest to promote education of our young people."

More than a few readers voted for Ed St. John without having met him, knowing only of his good works.

"I know the impact he has had on the Cardinal Gibbons School, helping to provide scholarships for worthy young men to get a good education," said Lorenzo Gaztanaga, a 1968 graduate of the Catholic high school in southwest Baltimore.

“I’m very grateful to Mr. St. John for helping to provide to so many the same 
opportunity I had to learn, to grow the Gibbons way.”

Biography

Ed St. John grew up in Pimlico. He lost his father at an early age, attended Mt. St. Joseph High School in the early 1950s and showed early talent for acquiring and giving away money. During the Christian season of Lent, he’d organize a competition among his Catholic classmates when the Xaverian brothers urged the boys to donate spare change to charity.
"I’d challenge the others two-to-one," said St. John, who wanted to see his row of classmates give the most. "It always felt good."

And, apparently, it still feels good. No matter the quantity of the donation – St. John gave away some $1.6 million last year, likening his career to playing Monopoly with real money – the quality of gratitude endures.

A man of few words, St. John enjoys sailing – and thus donates big chunks of money to the Living Classrooms Foundation in Fells Point - fishing, hunting waterfowl and staying in shape. Somewhere on the inside, however, showing young people the way to a better life – and maybe ending the way poverty is passed on from one generation to the next - really floats his yacht.

"When you help people [get an education] they give back, and giving grows," he said.

“And I love what I do. We build offices for industry, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

2009 Corridor Person of the Year Cocktail Reception
Thursday, February 4, 2010
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
BWI Airport Marriott 

Tickets: $45, group rates are available
To RSVP e-mail lklinesmith@corridorinc.com or call 410-243-5725 x100

What our readers say:

• Ed St. John represents everything good about our industry.
• My company is a tenant of St. John Properties (SJP did not solicit my vote); the values of Mr. St. John are evident in the sterling values of his company and how it treats its clients and manages its properties. I have know Mr. St. John for 30 years and admired the thoughtful way he guides SJP through the ups and downs of the real estate cycle. I have tried to employ his blend of caution and creativity in managing my own small company. SJP continues to be a force in Maryland’s economic growth.
• I have been the warehouse manager for the last three years for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, and without the help of Mr.Edward A. St. John helping us by donating space for this great program we would be in a smaller space like years gone by. It has made collecting and distributing toys a whole lot easier. Thank you Mr. St. John for your interest and loyalty to the children of Anne Arundel and Howard counties and the state of Maryland.
• Generosity, vision, commitment, industry leader are just some of the words that immediately come to mind when Ed St John’s name is mentioned. His 
contribution to the economy of the Balto.-D.C. corridor is difficult to measure and equally difficult to match. Ed get’s my vote without hesitation.
• Mr. St. John is the most generous and giving man I’ve ever known. Several years ago, one of our employees died while on a trip to Mexico, and Mr. St. John created a trust and fully funded the college education for the man’s two young sons. None of this made the newspapers. It was important to Mr. St. John that he took care of the family and the children. Mr. St. John is a man of character and commited to his community, to his company and to his employees.
• St. John Properties has continued to growth, even in light of the 
economic downturn, highlighting 
St. John’s diligent planning 
and financial management. This is particularly noteworthy, 
considering his firm is local and 
not a publically traded company. Their company continues to contribute to the local economy and 'the Corridor.' Kudos to Ed and his staff!
• Mr. St. John was kind enough 
to establish a $100,000 scholarship program at Mount Saint Joseph High School. The scholarship allows two bright young 
men the opportunity to attend 
Mt. St. Joseph and receive a quality Catholic education. Without this scholarship, the parents of these student may not be able to afford the tuition in these tough economic times.
• In a difficult economy Ed has been able to maintain his entire work force without any layoffs to his personnel from top to bottom. His commitment to his employees is exemplary. In addition, his commitment to the community in terms of his continued volunteerism and the funds he raises and contributes is an example for others to admire and follow.

Finalist feedback
Corridor Inc. finalists are among the most respected colleagues in the Baltimore-Washington region. We had tremendous voter turnout this year for this distinguished group. Here is a sampling of your feedback.

Penny L. Cantwell, 
Fort Meade Alliance Education Chair
I’ll bet if you looked at a common thread between all of your nominees, it would likely be Penny Cantwell. She is involved in so many projects that make the community better. She doesn’t make things happen in the community as part of work-related duties ... f or the most part, it’s simply because she cares and knows how to make things happen. One can only imaging how many projects would not have reached fruition had Penny not been a driving force.

Donald C. Fry
, Greater Baltimore Committee President and CEO
Don continues to seek out strategic regional collaborations among various industries and groups. He’s been instrumental in opening doors for large and small businesses for many years. I really admire his efforts and dedication to making the B-W corridor more business friendly.

Linda Greene
, BWI Business Partnership Executive Director
Ms. Greene continues to stay on the pulse of the business needs of northern AA County and has extensive connections and relationships that benefit not only the BWIBP, but she works to help many of the other AA County organizations.

Karen E. Olscamp
, Baltimore Washington Medical Center CEO
Mrs. Olscamp has continued to keep BWMC in the forefront of patient care and hospital development. Through this difficult time of financial issues across the board for staff and hospital growth, she has been able to keep the hospital’s growth development on schedule and maintain staff without cutting.

Mary Ann Scully
, Howard Bank President and CEO
Mary Ann Scully has led a successful company for the past five years during an economy that has felled others in her industry, and she has managed to shine as a community leader, heading up philanthropic and civic efforts that have made Howard County a more compassionate and caring community as well as a better place to live, work and play, and be educated.

— February 2010 print edition