William D. Sanders (born 1941) is an innovative[1] American real estate businessman and developer. In 1968, he founded the real estate firm LaSalle Partners, in El Paso, Texas, and years later, the Security Capital Group (1990) and Verde Realty. Among existing companies that evolved from holdings once associated with Sanders are: ProLogis, Archstone-Smith Trust (a REIT), CarrAmerica Realty and Storage USA. In 1999, LaSalle Partners merged with Jones Lang Wooton to form Jones Lang LaSalle.[1]
Sanders graduated from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 1964 and, in 1999, received Cornell's Entrepreneur of the Year award.[2] He was also Chairman of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT). For a profile of William Sanders, read this article by Real Estate Portfolio magazine found on REIT.com. [1]