Third-generation builder/developer Robert E. “Bob” Buchanan will receive the George Mason Medal, George Mason University’s highest honorary award, at the 2025 Spring Commencement on Thursday, May 15, at EagleBank Arena.
Those who receive the George Mason Medal are characterized by a record of service to their community, state, or nation consistent with the level and quality of George Mason’s public service in his own time.
Buchanan founded Buchanan Partners’ predecessor company almost 50 years ago and launched Buchanan Partners in 1998. Under his guidance, the Bethesda, Maryland-based company has become one of the leading full-service real estate firms in the Greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. His company has become a trusted business partner for investors worldwide.
In 2009, Buchanan founded the 2030 Group, an association of Washington area business leaders focused on regional long-term decision-making. Later, his Roadmap Project brought together leaders from across the Washington, D.C., metro area, including George Mason University, to discuss economy diversification and to create a plan for sustainable economic growth.
Buchanan and his wife, Sharon, have been active supporters of George Mason for years. Bob served on the Board of Trustees of the George Mason University Foundation, was a member of the National Leadership Council, and served on the advisory boards of the Schar School of Policy and Government, the School of Art, and Science and Technology Campus. Sharon is also a member of the National Leadership Council and served on the Arts at Mason Board and the School of Art Advisory Council. In 2018, they established the Bob and Sharon Buchanan Fund for Marketing Mason to support the university’s promotional efforts across various media.
For several years, the Washington Business Journal included Buchanan in its “Power 100” list of the region’s most influential business leaders. He was selected as the 2017 Regional Leader Honoree by Leadership Fairfax Northern Virginia Leadership Awards. Buchanan received the Urban Land Institute’s Lifetime Achievement award in 2018. In 2022, he received the Williams Trophy Award from the Washington Airports Taskforce. In 2024, the Community Foundation of Montgomery County named Buchanan Philanthropist of the Year.