Palm Springs, Calif. — Bill Bayless, CEO of American Campus Communities, has received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the real estate, construction and lodging category.
The award was given at Ernst & Young’s Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Springs, California. Recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country, the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards celebrate the country’s most innovative business leaders. The program has honored leading entrepreneurs including Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee, John Mackey of Whole Foods Market, Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn and Mindy Grossman of HSN.
“Once again, the hard work and success of the American Campus Communities team have resulted in personal accolades,” says Bayless. “I am humbled and honored by this recognition and am thrilled that the entrepreneurial spirit of hard work, innovation and pursuing your passion thrives at our company.”
“The timing of this honor is truly special as we are about to embark on our 25th anniversary,” continues Bayless. “The ACC team’s commitment and dedication to putting students first continues to inspire me to further build on the mission we set upon in 1993. It is truly humbling to reflect on my own start as a resident assistant and on our early dreams and goals as a young startup company with visions of revolutionizing the student experience and mainstreaming student housing as an asset class.”