George M. Marcus is the founder of Marcus & Millichap Company and its chairman since 1971. Marcus & Millichap Company is the parent company of a diversified group of real estate, service, investment and development firms. Mr. Marcus is also chairman of Essex Property Trust (a publicly held multi-family real estate investment trust). Mr. Marcus was one of the original founders and directors of Plaza Commerce Bank and Greater Bay Bancorp, both publicly held financial institutions. Mr. Marcus continues to serve on the board of directors of Greater Bay Bancorp. Included among Mr. Marcus’ professional memberships are the Board of Regents of The University of California, the Apartment Industry Foundation, in which he currently serves on the board of directors, the Real Estate Roundtable and the Policy Advisory Board of the University of California at Berkeley – Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from San Francisco State University in 1965; he was honored as Alumnus of the Year in 1989. Mr. Marcus is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School of Owners/Presidents Management Program and the Georgetown University Leadership Program.