After 33 years of unwavering hard work, leadership and friendship, Frank Connors has retired from EYA. Since 1992, Frank has served in various roles including Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO) and most recently Chief Risk Officer (CRO).
In December, the EYA family—past and present—gathered to celebrate Frank and his innumerable contributions to the company, share in his story and reflect on the foundations he helped build (both literally and figuratively) since EYA's earliest days. The evening was filled with laughter, heartfelt tributes and a deep sense of gratitude for Frank's lasting legacy.
Frank's retirement party
The Early Years
Frank joined EYA in 1992 as the company’s fourth employee, answering a want ad for a bookkeeper during a challenging real estate downturn. As Frank recounted in his retirement speech, he convinced EYA's founders, Bob Youngentob and Terry Eakin, that even though he was overqualified for the job, they should “overhire” for the role. His pitch? “No need to hire a less qualified person when you can hire me and I can be like an accordion and grow with you as the company grows.” And that he did.
Frank fondly recounted: "As we were finishing the job interview process and after I had been offered the job, Bob said to me: Just think, if all goes well this will be the last job interview you ever have. Being 33 years old and already having had three jobs, I froze up trying to process what Bob had just said. It turns out it was my last interview and Bob was so right, as he always was."
The early years of EYA were spent with a lot of hard work to grow the company and Terry, Bob and Frank all pitching in wherever needed. These were defining moments that shaped EYA's culture and values that remain today—integrity, determination, excellence, innovation and collaboration.
Celebrating EYA's 1,000th settlement
During Terry Eakin's toast at the event, he said: "Frank has made so many important contributions to EYA over the years. Nobody worked harder. And when it came time to have fun, Frank was a front-line leader. But more importantly, nobody at EYA managed to earn more trust throughout the company and with our investors than Frank Connors...EYA could never have been so successful or have been as much fun without you."
The Steady Hand Through EYA’s Evolution
Frank’s leadership spanned the company’s growth from a modest team to one of the region’s most respected urban homebuilders. As EYA grew, Frank advanced to become the company's CFO. During the 2008 recession, he took on an additional role of COO. He remained EYA's CFO and COO for the next 12 years.
Frank was awarded Best CFO by the Washington Business Journal in 2010
EYA grew into the region's leading urban-infill developer, specializing in distinctive townhome communities, and received hundreds of awards, including twice named America's Best Builder. Frank played a key role in the company's growth and success. At the event, McLean Quinn, EYA’s current President and CEO, described Frank as “the glue” that held EYA together.
"EYA began with a great idea. Bob and Terry had a clear vision for an infill homebuilding company that would bring life within walking distance to neighborhoods across Washington. They believed you could build great communities, treat people the right way, and do work that truly mattered. They took that vision and seeded something special.
But ideas do not become enduring organizations on their own. Frank was the glue. The one who showed up every day for more than thirty years to hold EYA together, to protect our culture, and to quietly make sure our values were not just words on a page. If Bob and Terry were the spark that ignited EYA, Frank was the one who stoked the fire that sustained us." - McLean Quinn, EYA President & CEO
A Lasting Legacy & New Era
Today, EYA has built more than 7,000 new homes in 54 neighborhoods across the greater Washington region. Throughout his tenure, Frank was not only a trusted financial steward, but also a mentor and culture-bearer. He is known for his humility, quiet leadership and steadfast commitment to ALWAYS doing the right thing, even when doing so was harder, took longer or was more costly.
Frank’s mentorship is now deeply rooted the company, leaving behind shared values we all continue to uphold and creating opportunities for others. Milli Arakawa, EYA's current CFO, noted in her remarks, “It’s not every day you get to be mentored by someone like Frank Connors. Every day, you managed to irritate me, make me laugh, inspire me, and most importantly, teach me and make me better. You were my biggest fan, believing in me long before I believed in myself."
The EYA accounting team at Frank's retirement party
As EYA's Chief Acquisitions Officer, Aakash Thakkar, said in his toast, “Frank, you have lived and breathed EYA for as long as I can remember. Every house needs the strongest of foundations, one that is steady, one that can weather any storm, one that is solid in the face of adversity, one that holds all the many pieces together to build a house that we can call a home. That is you, Frank. We see you, Mr. Connors, we see the love and passion you have poured into EYA, and we will return it in kind to EYA as EYA continues to grow and blossom."
Frank’s retirement also marks a transition from EYA’s founding partnership to its next generation of leadership. The “EYA 2.0” leadership team carries forward the values Frank helped embed from day one. In his speech, Frank expressed full confidence and excitement in the company's future, calling it “a new era” for EYA.
Thank You, Frank & All the Best!
EYA is, at its core, about creating communities. And few individuals have done more to nurture the EYA community than Frank Connors. His fingerprints are on every project and on the culture that defines who we are as a company.
As we celebrate Frank’s remarkable career, we do so with hearts full of appreciation. Thank you, Frank, for everything. You have given this company more than we could ever put into words. Wishing you all the best in this next chapter—with golf clubs in hand and surrounded by friends and family.
The Connors family at Frank's party
