Tom Gallagher

Tom brings more than 35 years of experience in commercial and retail leasing and new store development to his position at RPA. His primary focus is on carve-out parcel developments and lease renegotiations.

Prior to joining RPA, for 20+ years Tom played an integral role in The Home Depot’s real estate team. During his tenure, he oversaw the permitting and opening of over 70 Home Depot stores and associated projects in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Southeast, portions of the Midwest and in Canada. In recognition of his efforts, he received an award from the Washington, DC Marketing Center for opening the first big box retail store in the District of Columbia. He was also given the prestigious Executive Homer Award from Home Depot for concurrently converting the former Expo Design Center in Bethesda, MD into a Home Depot store, while successfully relocating The Home Depot Government Affairs office in Washington, DC. In 2018, Tom was awarded the Glass Hammer for his two decades of service to the company’s real estate team.

Tom also served in management positions at The Hechinger Company, where he was responsible for new store development throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, including the opening of 14 Hechinger and Home Quarters store locations. Subsequently, he worked at Best Buy and Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack, where he supervised development teams, negotiated and executed contracts, and oversaw store development and capital store improvements. Early in his career, Tom held several management positions at The Great A&P Supermarket, where he conducted sales forecasting and trade area analysis; oversaw store development programs in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina; opened 10 store locations in the Washington, DC and Baltimore metro areas for PLUS Discount Foods, a subsidiary; and ultimately directed all real estate matters in the Carolina region.

In addition to his aforementioned skills, throughout his career Tom has handled lease administration; the disposition of excess and surplus properties; and coordination of all real estate activity, including construction and store opening schedules, with store management and various corporate leadership teams. He has also led multiple development teams consisting of company construction personnel and outside consultants, implementing strategies to obtain all necessary government entitlements to open new store projects.

Tom, an esteemed real estate veteran, has managed transactions valued at over five billion dollars in the United States and Canada.

Education

Tom holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Science from Mount St. Mary’s University.