Jon Hammes

Jon D. Hammes is the founder and managing partner of Hammes Company. He was formerly managing partner of Milwaukee's Trammel Crow real estate company.

In July 2015, Hammes was named co-chair of Scott Walker's presidential fundraising campaign.

Early life and education Hammes was born and raised in south Racine, Wisconsin. He was the third of seven children. His grandfather, who moved to Racine around 1900, built the Hammes Tavern in 1928. Hammes's father, Don, operated the tavern and served as the booster club president at Washington Park High School, from which Hammes and all of his siblings graduated. He studied under James Graaskamp, who helped establish real estate as an academic discipline. Hammes also earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Career Hammes started his career with the Trammell Crow Company in 1974 and credits Trammell Crow as a career mentor. While serving in this role, he was involved in the Milwaukee Center development project. Hammes was also a member of the company's management board. He told the Milwaukee Business Journal that the health care sector represented a substantial percentage of gross national product at the time, and it made sense to allocate resources there.

Hammes has also been personally involved with his company's construction of sports facilities, including the renovation of Lambeau Field in Green Bay and the development of the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Hammes continues to serve as chairman and CEO of Hammes Company. Marquette University (board of trustees since 2014), the Medical College of Wisconsin (since 2000), Teach For America-Milwaukee, the University of Wisconsin Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Committee, WiCab Inc., and the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee. In September, 2000, the investment board purchased $8.3 million worth of distressed bonds from Heartland Advisors, a Milwaukee-based firm where Hammes served as an independent director. While Hammes referred the state board's staff to Heartland officials, he recused himself from the consideration process for the investment because of a conflict of interest. Hammes involvement in Heartland's recommendation resulted in criticism from the co-chairman of the state legislature's Joint Audit Committee, Gary George. In October 2000, the funds in which the state invested lost a combined $62 million in value. A report by the Wisconsin State Auditor issued in November, 2001 did not find any evidence that Hammes had influenced the investment decision. In December 2003, the SEC issued a consent order requiring Heartland's independent directors, including Hammes, to cease and desist violating securities laws, which they agreed to without admitting or denying any wrongdoing. He is also an owner of the Lakeshore Chinooks, a Mequon, Wisconsin-based baseball team in the Northwoods League.

In 2015, Hammes and members of his family purchased a golf course known as The Bog in Saukville, Wisconsin through Milwaukee B & E Partners I LLC, an affiliate of Hammes Company.

Personal life Hammes and his wife, Ann, have four children and thirteen grandchildren. The gift represented the largest single donation ever given to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. and received the Wisconsin Real Estate Alumni Association's Wisconsin Award at the Wisconsin Biennial Real Estate Conference. He is also a recipient of the association's Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2020, they donated $2 million to the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin department of biomedical engineering, which was the largest donation to-date to the joint department.