John Magness, a top executive for the Dallas-based development giant that transformed San Bernardino’s Norton Air Force Base into a Southern California logistics hub, died Saturday, Feb. 4, after summiting Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, Hillwood Development Co. officials confirmed Tuesday, Feb. 7.
The former Redlands resident and father of two was pictured days ago at the 22,837-foot summit.
“John succumbed to medical complications in the hours after reaching the summit of one of the highest mountains in the world,” according to a Tuesday post on the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund LinkedIn page.
Magness, a Desert Storm veteran, and two other Army vets participated in the Aconcagua Challenge expedition to raise money and awareness for the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, which provides scholarships to military children of fallen service members.
Magness was a “dedicated leader” on the organization’s board of directors, the post states.
“In short,” it continues, “he was our classmate, teammate, and friend. He was our hero, serving others until the end.”
Magness’ body is in the process of being brought home, the LinkedIn post states.
Magness leaves an indelible mark on the Inland Empire.
After his nine years in the Army and time as a consultant to the United Arab Emirates government, Magness joined Hillwood — owned by Ross Perot Jr. — in 1997 with an eye toward developing land at vacant Air Force bases here.
In 2002, Hillwood inked a deal with the Inland Valley Development Agency, the body of local and regional leaders overseeing Norton’s redevelopment. Branded as AllianceCalifornia, the public-private partnership set out to change the landscape of the San Bernardino base, attract new businesses and bring jobs back to the area and community at large.
Hillwood has since developed millions of square feet of new commercial and industrial space in and around the base.
Stater Bros., Kohl’s and Mattel were among the major retailers to occupy new warehouses early on, and by 2017, AllianceCalifornia had yielded north of $2.3 billion for San Bernardino, according to a news release from that year.
“John was an outstanding father, patriot, and man of faith,” Perot, Hillwood president and CEO, said in a statement. “He was a highly decorated combat pilot in the U.S. Army for nine years before joining Hillwood to lead our California Expansion efforts.
“John was instrumental in forming the public-private partnership that redeveloped the former Norton Air Force Base,” Perot added, “and he took great pride in that project and the economic opportunities it generated for a community he loved.”
Two years ago, nearly a decade after opening its first California fulfillment center just outside Norton, Amazon moved into a massive air cargo logistics center that Hillwood developed at San Bernardino International Airport.
The Amazon Air Regional Air Hub presently serves as the Southern California headquarters for the e-commerce giant’s expansive air freight network.
Mike Burrows, executive director of the Inland Valley Development Agency and San Bernardino International Airport Authority, called working with Magness the past 20 years an honor and privilege.
“An ardent professional and a visionary leader,” Burrows wrote in an email Tuesday. “Norton Air Force Base became AllianceCalifornia because of (Magness’) talent, drive, and dedication to what is now one of the most successful public-private partnerships in the world.
“Words cannot express the magnitude of an individual with such indelible integrity — the caliber of which I find myself fortunate to have seen,” Burrows added.
“The stars of AllianceCalifornia will always shine brighter because of John, and we will always be thankful for him.”
Magness is survived by his wife, Angie, and their children Chelsea and John Michael.
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