Alumni Hall of Fame
Steven L. Craig
The Developer
There’s an iconic line in the 1989 Kevin Costner film,
“Field of Dreams,” which tells the tale of an Iowa corn farmer with an
outlandish vision to build a baseball field in the middle of nowhere .“If you
build it, they will come.” No other phrase is likely to sum up the career of
1975 Santa Ana College alumni, Steven Craig.
For the past two decades, brick by brick, the Newport
Beach-based real estate development and management company that bears his name,
Craig Realty Group, has become a formidable force in the industry, currently holding
and operating 13 outlet centers in seven states. Through hard work,
persistence, and his easy going Midwestern mannerisms, Steven has built his
company from the ground up, literally.
Back in 1973, and just three weeks after receiving his high
school diploma in his hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri, Steve decided to ditch
the cold and snowy midwest climate, and seek solace, and higher education, in
sunny Southern California. His destination: the University of Southern
California, Los Angeles. Upon his arrival in the City of Dreams, Steven’s college
dreams were sunk after he discovered that UCLA did not offer a business
program. With no intention of turning back, Steven needed to come up with a
Plan B.
All hope was not lost. At the suggestion of the Los Angeles
family Steven’s parents connected him with to help orient him to California,
Steven visited the campus of Santa Ana College. After the tour, Plan B quickly
became Steven’s best plan. He was sold, but there was one obstacle standing in
his way: all the classes were filled. With the help of a SAC counselor, Steven
was able to get most of the classes he wanted overridden. The plan was in
motion.
In and out of the classroom, Steven soared at SAC, joining
the tennis team, and student government. “When you go to college and you’re
paying for it, you want to extract the most out of it you possibly can,” says
Steven. “I showed up every day, participated, and asked questions. I think when
you do those things, the professors react favorably.” It’s those professors
says Steven, who helped him build a level of confidence to compete. “I felt I
had a strong sense of place there.”
Paying his way through school as the first in his family in
generations to seek higher education, the journey to commencement was paved
with many macaroni and cheese meals, says Steven, but he persevered. He worked
part-time at a drive-thru dairy store, rented a room to keep his expenses in
line, and focused on his studies. In his sophomore year, some financial relief arrived
in the form of a $2500 Bank of America scholarship.
After receiving his SAC degree, Steven wasn’t sure what his
next collegiate move would be. At first, he shied away from the idea of
transferring to the University of Southern California due to finances, but his
SAC counselors urged him to consider it, at least visit. He did—five times. He
enrolled, even receiving partial scholarship, which he credits SAC for.
“From a value proposition standpoint, Santa Ana College was
one heck of a deal,” says Steven. “I had a good college experience there. I
enjoyed the instruction and can still remember many of the professors, for whom
I had a keen appreciation for, especially when I transferred to the University
of Southern California.”
Next came USC commencement, followed by a summer internship
with real estate giant, Coldwell Banker, where Steven immersed himself in the
business, learning from corporate executives at lunches.
Later, Steven joined Xerox Corporation’s training program,
followed by a stint at Anchor West Development. “I wanted to learn the business
from the ground up.” Following Anchor West Development, Steven moved to a
larger real estate firm and then, in 1984, launched Craig Realty Group. “I
think there’s something to creating a place that didn’t exist before that
people all over the world visit,” says Steven, of his passion for building
outlet shopping destinations.
At the heart of Steven’s driving influence, is a winning
attitude and vision for what might seem impossible to everyone but him. Case in
point: Cabazon Outlets. Bookended by Los Angeles and Palm Springs, CA, at the
time considered to be some of the poorest land in California, and riddled with
countless social, let alone development hurdles, including high unemployment,
and no utility infrastructure. While others saw an unsurmountable development challenge,
Steven saw potential. Today, after more than 200 banks refused to support the
project, it’s been in business for decades, racking in nearly $1 billion in
sales each year.
Another of Steven’s development feats include The Outlets at
San Clemente, which took more than 18 years to open. In 2017, after becoming
the fourth company to own and operate the Citadel Outlets in Los Angeles, the
Craig Realty Group property became the second ranking outlet shopping center in
the United States. Steven’s development magic has also travelled, with a successful
outlet center in Milan, Italy.
In addition to the real estate business, Steven’s made philanthropy
a big part of his portfolio. Since 2012, he’s served on the Board of Directors
for KidWorks of Santa Ana, a nonprofit that provides low-income, at-risk
children with education and life enrichment support services. Steve’s
involvement with KidWorks has raised its profile, and his instrumental role in
developing the organization’s golf tournament, has elevated fundraising revenue
significantly.
In 1996, Steven returned home to cold he said farewell to decades
before, to deliver the graduation address to the business department at
Missouri Western University. While there, he learned the school was having a
tough time becoming accredited. Not one to back away from a trial, Steven
helped the school develop accreditation. For his hard work and generosity, the
university renamed its business school the Craig School of Business.
Regardless of where Steven’s endeavors have transported him
throughout his career, the real estate developer says he will always hold his
beginnings at Santa Ana College in high regard. “I went into my experience at
SAC with the best intentions and I feel like I got twice as much out of it. I
am extremely pleased with the quality of education I received at Santa Ana
College.”
