Co-Founder and Chairman, J.F. Shea Co. Inc.

John Shea is the co-founder and chairman of J.F. Shea Co., which has a large number of companies under its umbrella. The company was founded in Portland, Ore. in 1881 by Shea’s grandfather, John Francis Shea. It moved to Los Angeles in 1933. Noteworthy projects include building the foundations for the Golden Gate Bridge and the construction of the Hoover Dam and the Interstate Highway System. Shea Homes, which claims to be the nation’s largest homebuilder, is continually opening new projects. Aliso Viejo-based Shea Properties, meanwhile, owns and operates more than 10,000 apartments units and 6 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space in California, Colorado and Washington.

YEARS ON THE LA500: 3