The small world phenomenon, developed by psychologist Stanley Milgram, hypothesizes that everyone in the world is connected through a small number of acquaintances. Frequently referred to as six degrees of separation, it is a phenomenon that has been adopted by smaller communities as well, such as everyone in Hollywood's apparent connection to actor Kevin Bacon, or mathematicians' Erdös number to describe their level of affiliation with the late mathematician Paul Erdös. The REIT industry has its own professional-contact cornerstone with William Sanders.

Sanders has played a role in the careers of numerous high-level REIT executives. NAREIT Chair R. Scot Sellers, chairman and chief executive officer of Archstone-Smith (NYSE: ASN), and Constance Moore, president and CEO of BRE Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BRE), are two of the many industry leaders who cite Sanders' influence on how they now manage their companies.

"I hope I have been able to take some of the culture-building attributes that he had about how to build a team, about how to get everyone rowing in the same direction," Moore says.

"One of the things I have noticed and respected about him is his commitment to integrity and honesty," Sellers says. "With Bill that's always been paramount. The other thing learned by all of us from Security Capital is there's no reason that the real estate security industry should be less professional than any other industry."

Name		Connection
Ronald Blankenship co-chairman, Verde Group		Former vice chairman and COO at Security Capital
Thomas Carr chairman & CEO, CarrAmerica Realty Corporation		Security Capital was an investor in CarrAmerica
Mary Lou Fiala president & COO, Regency Centers Corporation		Former managing director at Security Capital Global Strategic Group
Dean Jernigan former chairman, president & CEO, Storage USA		Security Capital was an investor in the company, which was bought by GE Capital and later sold to Extra Space Storage
Anthony Manno, Jr. CEO, president & CIO, Security Capital Research & Management Inc.		Joined Security Capital in 1994 and prior to that was a managing director of LaSalle Partners
Constance Moore president & CEO, BRE Properties, Inc.		Former managing director at Security Capital Group & Affiliates
A. Richard Moore CFO, Verde Realty		Former chairman and CEO at Security Capital European Realty
Charles Mueller, Jr. CFO, Archstone-Smith		Formerly held various financial positions at Security Capital
Walter Rakowich president & COO, ProLogis		Security Capital Industrial Trust later became ProLogis
James Rehlaender managing director, European Investors		Former senior vice president with LaSalle Partners
Jeffrey Schwartz CEO, ProLogis		Security Capital Industrial Trust later became ProLogis
R. Scot Sellers chairman & CEO, Archstone-Smith, NAREIT Chair		Archstone was the result of the merger of Security Capital Pacific and Security Capital Atlantic. Former senior vice president at Security Capital
Martin "Hap" Stein, Jr. chairman & CEO, Regency Centers		Security Capital was an investor in Regency Centers
Donald Suter managing principal, Macquarie Capital		Former managing director at Security Capital Markets Group
Thomas Wattles chairman & CIO, Dividend Capital Trust		Former managing director at Security Capital and co-chairman at Security Capital Industrial Trust
Photographs by: Jensen Hande (Mary Lou Fiala); Robert Houser (Constance Moore); Jensen Hande (Martin Stein, Jr.)