Paul Curtis, CEO Kiley Ranch Communities

PAUL CURTIS COULD HAVE BUCKLED UNDER THE PRESSURE; after all, he had been charged with preserving the integrity of a family legacy. But industry observers say he has done so with vision, honor and an eye to the future — hardly the buckling one might expect.

The challenge: to transform the Kiley Ranch property, in existence since 1929, into a master-planned community that embodies the nationally popular (but locally heretofore unknown) concept of the smart-growth lifestyle. What Curtis refers to as “the dream project” is a walkable and connected live, work, shop and play community.

Growth of this type is “smart” because it provides for a close-knit neighborhood feel where residents don’t have to travel to reach retail, restaurants and workplaces, all the while preserving open space in environmentally sensitive ways.

And Curtis comes by his commitment to the environment naturally. When he is not planning and developing Kiley Ranch, he can be found hiking, skiing, camping or bike riding. He is an avid outdoorsman and considers himself conservation minded — which tends to be an anomaly in the development industry.

“I think I have the best job in town,” says Curtis, reflecting on the team behind him. “I get to talk to a lot of neat people and learn a lot of neat stuff” in developing Kiley Ranch, he says.