During the recent commencement ceremonies held at Queens University in Charlotte, NC, our founder and chairman, Mr. Allen Tate, was honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Mr. Tate is the epitome of a Carolina man and the honorary degree reflects his five decades of business leadership and civic engagement across the region.

When he began entertaining the thought of career in real estate, Mr. Tate knew that he wanted to do more for people than simply selling their homes; he wanted to help them. That desire and drive led him to establish the civic-minded Allen Tate Company a few years after graduating from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

During his incredibly successful career in the Carolinas, Mr. Tate has or is currently serving on the boards of the University of North Carolina – Charlotte Foundation, the Central Piedmont Community College Foundation, and the Piedmont Public Policy Institute, among many more.  He has also served as chairman of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association’s Heart Ball, among others.

He is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including Carolinas’ Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and national finalist (2007); Distinguished Scouting Citizen Award from the Mecklenburg County Council, Boys Scouts of America (2008); and Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, the highest civilian honor in North Carolina (2008).

Not only a Carolina man but an entrepreneur as well, Mr. Tate began the Allen Tate Company as a single man in a single office. That company has since grown to become the leading real estate company in the Carolinas. But more than real estate, Mr. Tate has stayed true to his desire to help people.

Yes, selling and buying homes is his trade by nature, but Mr. Tate has also dedicated his time to supporting education, the arts and social services.

Keep an eye out, you never know where you’ll see the doctor next!

-Genevieve Jooste