Texas Investor John Goff Visits Rotary
Rotarian Rainer Twiford with guest speaker John Goff, RCB President Brenda Hackney and Past President Jon Blankenship.
This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed guest speaker John Goff, Crescent Real Estate and Goff Capital Founder and Chairman for a conversation facilitated by RCB Past President Jon Blankenship. Goff discussed being raised in a modest background with a strong work ethic, dedicating himself early in his career as a public accountant and the pivotal risks he took when presented with opportunities bearing potential. He shared stories of partnering with Richard Rainwater to invest in public securities, private equity, and distressed debt in industries such as oil and gas, health care, insurance, and banking. He explained how he navigated market volatility to strategically invest in real estate, aerospace, energy, entertainment, and wellness.
“I love building things, ever since I was a kid,” Goff said. “It used to be go-carts and then a submarine...and now it’s companies. I love doing it. I’m very much into the detail. I’m good at identifying talent and then getting them the right incentives and the right structure. I’m very involved in strategy and I’m just a very curious person, so I love to learn new things. It sounds like a lot of different things. The reality is I’m in a few select industries with some really smart people.”
Goff discussed his passion for growing companies, the factors he weighs when choosing where to invest, the future of the real estate and oil and gas industries, as well as his commitment to supporting causes like education and the construction of the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, Texas.
“There are 3,511 recipients of the Medal of Honor,” Goff said. “They are amazing people with incredible stories. I can’t even begin to tell you the courage and sacrifice that I’ve seen through these individuals. I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t a place in the United States that we would honor all these brave men and women who sacrificed for the country. We’re raising a total of $210 Million to get this built. It’s going to be magnificent.”
