Jeff Small, Jr.

Jeffrey Small is the co-founder and CEO of MDH Partners. His primary responsibilities include leading the strategic direction of the Company, overseeing the pursuit and underwriting of its new acquisitions and developments, and managing its relationships with its investors.

Under his guidance, the firm is currently investing Fund III,  with over $1.2 billion in discretionary equity. Its $750M Fund II encompasses 15 million sq. ft. of assets across the country, which it actively manages. In addition to its fund investors comprised of university endowments and foundations, MDH has a separate account joint venture with a global institutional investor, totaling over $1 billion in assets.

Over its history, MDH has participated in $7 billion of acquisitions, developments, and asset management totaling over 95 million sq. ft. of properties. Previous capital partners included Harvard University’s endowment (HMC), Bain Capital, Wells Fargo, and multiple Blackstone joint ventures.

Prior to founding MDH, Jeff was the President and CEO of MD Hodges Enterprises, an Atlanta-based industrial development company founded by his grandfather in 1958. Starting in his family business in 1993, Jeff took over the company in 1997 and later sold it in 1999 to Blackstone. He continued to run the business for Blackstone for 5 years before selling it a second time in 2005 to Clarion Partners, after which he started MDH with Michael Pelt, his former CIO. Jeff began his career practicing law as an attorney with King & Spalding from 1992-93.

From 2010-2015, Jeff also consulted with Blackstone, helping them form Indcor, one of the country’s largest owners of industrial properties at the time. He served on the Board of that company until it was sold to GLP. Jeff also was a founding Board member in 2012 of SolAmerica, a national solar energy provider, until its 2023 sale.

Jeff graduated with a BA in Political Science with Distinction from Yale University (summa cum laude), with a JD from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude), and he earned a Masters in the Study of Religions from Oxford University in England (Oriel College).

Jeff currently serves on the Episcopal Advisory Board of Candler School of Theology at Emory University, where he has also taught as an Adjunct Professor. Prior board service include serving on the Board of Trustees of the Westminster Schools in Atlanta for 17 years, as a Trustee of Trinity School in Atlanta for 9 years, and as a Trustee of the General Theological Seminary in New York. He is currently an active member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Chief Executives Organization (CEO), PREA, and NAIOP.

In his spare time, Jeff enjoys writing and has published two award-winning novels along with an academic text. Jeff and his wife, Alison, spent over a decade as competitive ballroom dancers, winning the US Amateur Championship in their division and representing the US at the World Senior Latin Championships. Today, they enjoy more mellow outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. He and Alison live in his hometown of Atlanta, and their daughter Ella recently earned her Ph.D. at the University of Texas in Austin where she continues to live and work.