Hunt Midwest Names Mike Bell President as CEO Ora Reynolds Retires After 36 Years

Kansas City-based real estate developer Hunt Midwest announced Nov. 11 that Ora Reynolds will retire as president and CEO at the end of 2026 after a 36-year career with the company. Executive Vice President Mike Bell will succeed her as president effective Jan. 1, 2027, completing a succession process that began in early 2026.

Reynolds will continue to serve Hunt Midwest as a senior strategic advisor and member of its board of directors, focusing on new investment opportunities and the company's long-term vision, the firm said.

Mike Bell Takes the Helm at Hunt Midwest

Bell brings more than 30 years of construction and development experience, including more than 15 years at Hunt Midwest, where he helped lead the company's industrial expansion across Kansas City and the Southeast. In early 2026, Hunt Midwest promoted Bell to executive vice president and assigned him oversight of its industrial, residential, development and acquisitions, and construction divisions.

During Bell's tenure, SubTropolis, the world's largest underground business complex, has doubled in size to almost 10 million square feet, including the creation of SubTropolis Technology Center. Bell has overseen nearly 4 million square feet of build-to-suit facilities for Fortune 10 and leading international companies and expanded Hunt Midwest's industrial presence into Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

"Ora has built an incredible foundation for Hunt Midwest, and I am honored to follow her as president," Bell said. "Ora's vision, leadership, and commitment to people have created a company positioned for long-term success. We have a talented leadership team, a diversified development platform, and significant opportunities ahead. My focus will be on building upon that momentum while remaining true to the values that have defined Hunt Midwest."

Reynolds' 36-Year Tenure

Reynolds joined Hunt Midwest in 1991, became president in 2010 and added the CEO title in 2012. Under her leadership, the company grew more than fivefold and expanded across industrial, residential, multifamily, self-storage, senior living and data center development. Hunt Midwest has completed more than $3 billion in developed projects across the Midwest, Southwest and Southeast.

In 1993, Reynolds started the company's residential division through land acquisition, entitlement, infrastructure development and relationships with homebuilders and sales professionals. The company's industrial platform includes almost 10 million square feet developed at SubTropolis and more than 50 million square feet of completed or planned development projects.

Reynolds also recruited senior leaders, developed and retained talent, established shared construction capabilities, advanced the Hunt Midwest brand and opened the company's Crossroads office.

"The most rewarding part of my career has not been any one building or development. It has been helping grow a company, a team and a culture capable of turning ambitious ideas into lasting places," Reynolds said. "Mike has been a key driver on some of our significant growth initiatives. He is the right leader for this next chapter, and I look forward to supporting him and the team as a senior strategic advisor and board member."

Clark Hunt said Reynolds' "greatest contribution is the exceptional team and enduring foundation she has built for the future." Lee Derrough, retired Hunt Midwest chairman, Reynolds' mentor and her predecessor as president and CEO, said much of the company's success "is a direct result of the strength of Ora's relationships within the industry, throughout the community, and between every member of her team."

Reynolds serves on the Commerce Bank Advisory Board and is past co-chair of the Kansas City Area Development Council board and past chair of the Starlight Theatre board. Her honors include the 2025 Kansas City Executive of the Year award from RE Journals, the 2023 Power Player Award from the Kansas City Business Journal, the 2020 Bernard Powell Award from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and inclusion in the 2010 inaugural class of the Midwest Commercial Real Estate Hall of Fame.

Industrial Expansion Under Way

The leadership change comes as Hunt Midwest expands its industrial and logistics platform. In February 2026, the company announced a partnership with Prologis covering its 3,300-acre KCI 29 Logistics Park, which is planned for up to 20 million square feet of industrial development, and Five Star Logistics Park, a fully entitled campus capable of supporting up to 800,000 square feet. The sale of the KCI-29 Logistics Park–Ace Hardware property to Morgan Stanley for $158.5 million, or $105.67 per square foot, reflects institutional investor interest in Hunt Midwest-developed industrial assets.

Kansas City Market Conditions

Kansas City industrial fundamentals have tightened. Cushman & Wakefield reported a 5.3% industrial vacancy rate in the third quarter of 2026 and noted that data-center development is a primary driver of industrial-market expansion. Colliers reported 2.44 million square feet of positive net absorption in the quarter and more than 4.37 million square feet year to date, with asking rents of $5.87 per square foot, up 4.82% year over year, and vacancy of 4.7%. A separate capital-markets report recorded industrial vacancy of 3.7%, down 100 basis points year over year, with average asking rents of $6.49 per square foot. The differences among the figures reflect differing methodologies and market definitions.

Other sectors in which Hunt Midwest operates also showed strength. Kansas City multifamily absorption reached 4,200 units in the third quarter of 2026, keeping vacancy below 4.0%, with effective rents up 2.5% over the prior 12 months. Average capitalization rates in Kansas City compressed 34 basis points year over year to 6.2%.

About Hunt Midwest

Hunt Midwest is a Kansas City-based, privately held real estate development company with six decades of expertise in industrial, self-storage, residential, multifamily and senior living communities. It is one of the pillars of the Lamar Hunt family's holdings, which include interests in real estate, sports and entertainment, energy and natural resources, and private equity. Other brands include the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bulls, FC Dallas, Hunt Southwest and Unity Hunt.

Sources

• Hunt Midwest: Hunt Midwest CEO Ora Reynolds to retire after 36 years of transformative growth; Mike Bell named next president