Mr. Craig Coppola

ABOUT MR. CRAIG COPPOLA

Craig has been a lifelong athlete with a bevy of achievements under his belt. He was drafted by and played in the Minnesota Twins Baseball organization, represented the USA and won a world championship in Tae Kwon Do. He was inducted into the Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame in 2015. In addition, Craig is a former ultra-long-distance runner completing over 60 marathons and longer. Today, he is an avid backpacker having hiked in over 25 countries and all 7 continents. He has completed such rigorous trails as the Arizona Trail (one of 11 U.S. National Scenic Trails), GR 20 in Corsica (widely considered one of the most difficult GR routes in the world), Everest Base Camp and the Summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Professionally, Craig is the top producing office broker in Lee & Associates’ (75+ offices) 45+ year history. He is one of the Founding Principals of Lee & Associates Arizona and received the William J. Lee Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He has earned the top three designations in the real estate industry and has been named NAIOP Office Broker of the Year six times, and in 2020 was awarded the NAIOP Award of Excellence.

Craig has also authored seven books. His first book, How to Win in Commercial Real Estate Investing, won him the “Best First Time Author Award” from The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE). As a follow-up to his investing book, Craig published, The Art of Commercial Real Estate Leasing in December 2014. Craig co-wrote Chasing Excellence: Real Life Stories from the Streets with Lee & Associates Founder Bill Lee. In addition to his three real estate books, Craig has also written The Fantastic Life: How to Get it, Live it, and Pass it On, and What Now? A 5-Prong Approach to Handling Cancer Diagnosis & Treatment. His latest books include The Fantastic Life Revisited, an all-new, expanded version of the first edition, and rocks, Gravel, sand, a book geared towards accomplishing your big rock goals and breaking them down into Gravel.

Craig holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Nicholls State University and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Arizona State University. He has been selected to the ASU Sun Devil 100 multiple years in a row for distinguished alumni who own or lead successful businesses. Craig is a third-generation Arizonan, married to his wife Tracy for over 35 years, father of four remarkable children, and grandfather of five.

MARTIAL ARTS EXPERIENCE:

November 2004 Competed in ITF World Championship, South Korea
May 2004 Competed in USA ITF Nationals, Connecticut

December 1997 General Choi, Hong Hi Seminar, Phoenix, AZ
November 1996 Grand Master Hwang Technical Seminar

November 1995 Grand Master Hwang Technical Seminar

January 1993 Began training in Tae Kwon Do

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

November 2004 US Team Member
2004 – ITF World Championships
Daejeon City, South Korea:

Gold medal in Men’s Team Patterns
Gold Medal in Men’s Power Breaking,
Men’s Team All Around Champions

May 2004
USA ITF Nationals – New Haven, Connecticut
Gold Medal – Team Competition

March 23, 2002 3rd Dan (A-3-907)
December 21, 1997 2nd Dan (A-2-1915)
December 22, 1995 1st Dan (A-1-7094 # 1KX63)