Fred Pierce
Fred Pierce (“Pierce”) is CEO of Pierce Education Properties (“PEP”), a leading national student housing
investment, development and operating company that was listed amongst the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private
Companies in America (2018 & 2019). Mr. Pierce was selected a “Student Housing Pioneer” by Real Estate
Forum Magazine (2013), received Ernst & Young’s San Diego Region “Entrepreneur of the Year®” Award for
the Real Estate & Construction Industry (2012), named one of “50 Influential Leaders in San Diego” by the San
Diego Daily Transcript (2017–2019), included in “San Diego 500 Influential Business Leaders” by the San
Diego Business Journal (“SDBJ”) (2018–2023), named finalist for the “Most Admired CEO” by SDBJ (2018-
2019) and received the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Moving San Diego Forward Award”
(2019) on behalf of “Friends of SDSU”, for his work on the successful SDSU West Ballot Initiative (Nov. 2018)
that has become San Diego State’s (“SDSU”) Mission Valley Campus and Snapdragon Stadium (opened Fall
2022). Fred was twice awarded SDSU’s “Distinguished Alumni Award” by the Alumni Association (2022) and
Fowler College of Business (1999), he being one of six alumni to have won that award twice in the last 25+ years.
Since 2007, PEP has completed $1.3 billion in student housing acquisitions and operated more than 34,000 beds
serving 34 universities in 19 states, ranking it among the leading buyers and managers of student apartments in
the country during that period. PEP was ranked by Student Housing Business Magazine (“SHB”) in 2023 amongst
the “Top 25 Owners” of student housing in the U.S. and has been listed by SHB as an “Industry Titan” every
year since 2016. PEP has ranked #6 nationally amongst student housing companies in J. Turner’s “Online
Reputation Assessment (ORA) Power Rankings”. For 10+ years, the firm served as master developer of the
award-winning, 131-acre, multi-billion-dollar College Community Redevelopment Project at SDSU together with
SDSU Foundation (now known as SDSU Research Foundation). PEP has earned numerous national and
international awards for its development projects including three “Gold Nugget Awards of Merit” from the Pacific
Coast Builders Conference and the “Award of Excellence” as The Outstanding University Real Estate Project in
the country from the Association of University Real Estate Officials.
Previously, Fred was a principal and CFO of Los Angeles-based Platt Companies where he directed the acquisition
and financing of $400 million in real estate assets. Prior to that, Fred was West Region Director of Real Estate
Consulting for Price Waterhouse (now known as PwC), and Director of Real Estate Investment Consulting for
KPMG Peat Marwick/Goodkin Group (now known as KPMG). Fred is Chairman of the NMHC Student Housing
Research Fund Board, Chairman-Elect of The Campanile Foundation Board (SDSU’s Endowment), Vice
Chairman of Beta Theta Pi Foundation Board, and Executive Committee Member of SDSU’s Corky McMillin
Center for Real Estate Board. He is a Member of the Franklin Pierce University Board of Trustees (immediate
past Chairman), SDSU Fowler College of Business Board (immediate past Chairman), SDSU Mission Valley
Campus’ Residential Advisory Board and Public Art Advisory Board, Sonoma State University Wine Business
Institute Board and University of Georgia Residential Property Management Board. Mr. Pierce is a Trustee
Emeritus of the 460,000-student, 23-campus California State University (CSU) System Board and Past Board
President of the City of San Diego’s Pension Fund (SDCERS, $10.6 Billion AUM), where he also chaired its Real
Estate Investment Committee. Fred is a former Board Member of INVESCO’s $350 million Real Estate Fund I,
and Past President of the CSU Alumni Council, SDSU Alumni Association and Poway Unified School District
Foundation Board. Fred completed real estate finance studies in the MBA program at SDSU, and earned a
bachelor’s degree in finance, cum laude, from SDSU.
Prior to founding PEP, Fred was a principal and chief financial officer of Los Angeles-based Platt Companies where he directed the acquisition and financing of $400 million in real estate assets. Prior to that, Fred was Western Regional Director of Real Estate Consulting for Price Waterhouse, as well as Director of Real Estate Investment Consulting for KPMG Peat Marwick/Goodkin Group. For six years (1999-2004), Fred served as a Trustee of the 23-campus, 460,000-student California State University (CSU) System, where he chaired the Institutional Advancement, Audit, and University and Faculty Personnel committees. Fred is also Past President of the Board of Trustees of the City of San Diego’s Pension Fund ($4+ Billion), where he also chaired its Real Estate Investment Committee. He is currently Chairman of SDSU’s Fowler College of Business Board and Executive Committee Member of SDSU’s Corky McMillin Center for Real Estate. Mr. Pierce is also a board member of Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute and The Aztec Club at SDSU. Fred is a former board member of INVESCO’s $350 million Real Estate Fund I, and Past President of the CSU Alumni Council, SDSU Alumni Association and Poway Unified School District Foundation. Fred completed real estate finance studies in the MBA program at SDSU, and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance, cum laude, from SDSU.
Pierce Education Properties
President & CEO