and where it’s going. He has a deep understanding and mastery of this industry. I see Dean as a true professional and extraordinary leader. I feel fortunate that he stayed with our company for so many years. This Hall of Fame award is well deserved.” Steve Starks, LHM, Chief Executive Officer, said: “In addition to Dean’s very steady personality, work ethic, and loyalty to the company, I would offer this one story: In 2014 or 2015, we went to California to meet with Acura to discuss an open point they were considering awarding us in Beverly Hills. The night before the meeting, we went to dinner in the hotel and the next morning Dean called me at 7:30 letting me know he had been sick all night and didn’t know if he could make it. He said, ‘I will try to meet you in the lobby at 8:15, but if I am not there, please go without me.’ At 8:15, I saw Dean dressed in his suit, walking to meet us. Throughout the morning drive to their offices, and then throughout the meeting, Dean was so sick he had to excuse himself multiple times. Despite this, he participated in the full meetings and contributed greatly. At the end of the day, we dropped him off at the hotel where he stayed the night and recovered. Dean has always been an incredibly hard worker and his dedication that morning exemplified his long and exceptional tenure at LHM.” Rourk Kemp, who worked closely with Dean for several years and had the privilege to observe him through a set of eyes that gave him a front-row seat to Dean and his impeccable character, said: “Here are some quick thoughts that come to mind as I think about Dean and the strengths and skills he brought to our organization: 1. Maturity: Dean is the most mature man I have ever worked with. By this, I mean that he is fully developed. He has strength, wisdom, intelligence and is always calm under fire. I watched Dean closely for years. I know that he wasn’t always this way. I know he grew throughout his career — and I can see that he made a deliberate choice to work on his maturity level and to let this pursuit truly push him into territory that few men have experienced. Personally, seeing his level of maturity certainly caused me to want to be more like him and I hope that I am progressing along the proper path. 2. Confidence in others: It has always been important to Dean to let those he works with know that he trusts them to make good decisions. He was deliberate in allowing us to make decisions and manage our respective areas of influence. Obviously, good decisions were not always made. He was always quick to coach and correct us, as necessary, and he was not afraid to be firm. But I never saw him as a tyrant (not once). Dean could easily have made any number of decisions on our behalf. He always knew which decisions were his and which should be in our hands. He pushed us to be good stewards because he knew that it took all of us pushing forward to get the best performance out of our organization. 3. Chain of command: Dean fully understood the proper chain of command. He would never go around someone (both up and down their chain of command). Additionally, I never saw Dean belittle someone that he disagreed with, even behind their back which is where one tends to see those things done. I would know if he was working with someone on development, but Dean is not the type to call someone names behind their back. This is difficult to describe, and it speaks to his maturity, but, oh, was it beautiful to work with him over the years and truly see how he respected others, even when I myself may have thought they didn’t deserve respect. I guess I am saying he was great at keeping his negative opinions to himself. He would manage what needed to be managed, but he was not interested in destroying reputations along the way or in pulling others down to lift them up. We have all heard stories of the “tough guy” Dean. I never saw it. Yes, he could be direct. Yes, he could correct me when I did something wrong. I never once felt belittled by him and I was never ashamed to be in his presence. I remember Greg Miller telling us to never do something that you wouldn’t do in front of your mom. Dean’s mom would be proud.” I wanted to recognize Dean as a family man, too, with a wonderful wife, Karen, and beautiful, accomplished children and grandchildren. Karen, your support of Dean and the demands placed on him in his work life do not go unnoticed. Everyone knows it takes a good companion to share the load and support and sustain a hardworking man. Thank you! Dean, thank you for spending so much of your career with the Larry H. Miller Group and for all you have done to lead and bring honor to our family and our organization. There will never be another Dean Fitzpatrick! 3 9
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