Who is Larry Connor, local man who will pilot space station flight?

Larry Connor, CEO of Miami Twp.-based real estate investment firm The Connor Group, will make history when he pilots the first-ever all civilian flight to the International Space Station.

Axiom Space, the private aerospace company based in Houston, announced Tuesday morning on “Good Morning America” that Connor will be the pilot for the four-man, multi-national crew. They are scheduled to launch the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft sometime in January 2022 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Connor is a pilot and outdoor enthusiast

The Ohio University graduate is a private pilot and member of the International Aerobatic Club who has been involved in aerobatic competitions, off-road racing and circuit racing.

Connor is a major philanthropist

In fact, he gave his employees $1.6 million he made in the stock market over an eight-day span. He announced in April that he would pay out every cent of it in bonuses for their dedication during the coronavirus pandemic.

Also, the company’s nonprofit arm, The Connor Group Kids & Community Partners, announced an initiative to provide more than $1 million to Dayton-area students, supplying groceries and in-home WiFi to underserved families affected by the pandemic.

In June, he announced plans for a preschool through eighth-grade private school exclusively for “under-resourced” students that will have between 400 and 600 students, with significant social services to be provided for families. The school will be called the Greater Dayton School and be near Deeds Point just north of downtown Dayton. It also is funded through the firm’s nonprofit.

Connor’s business continues to thrive

Connor’s firm, founded in 1992, has about $3 billion in assets. It owns and operates luxury apartments in 14 markets, including Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham and Minneapolis. In 2019, it hit $1 billion in transactions for the second time.

In September, Connor Group expanded its Denver holdings with a $105 million acquisition, its fourth so far in 2020.

The Connor Group was named one of the 2020 Best Workplaces in Ohio.

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