A seasoned team of professionals with well over 100 years of Arizona real estate experience leads El Dorado Holdings, with strong backgrounds in planning, legal, engineering, marketing and finance. Our team’s expertise adds value to every one of our properties through annexation, zoning, planning, engineering, development and sound operational management.
Our Leadership
Mike Ingram, Founder & Chairman
Mike Ingram founded El Dorado Holdings, Inc., in 1987 with Mark “Monty” Ortman (retired) with a staff of one and a single escrow property south of Phoenix. That property, John Wayne’s El Dorado Ranch, was the catalyst for growing a network of investors and land holdings strong enough to weather the real estate cycles and economic swings of the next few decades.
Ingram moved to Phoenix in 1987 with his family and personal work ethic to rise through adversity, stay focused on goals and deliver on commitments. Before moving to Arizona, he grew Tufts & Sons of Oklahoma into a company with $100 million in annual sales. When oil companies in Texas and Oklahoma went through a deep economic crisis, a chain of non-payments swept through all levels of industry, causing Ingram to sell off his successful businesses. With the sale, he paid off creditors, avoiding bankruptcy while necessitating a fresh start.
Ingram’s focus on hard work and responsibility came at an early age when his father passed away. At the age of 11, Ingram put in long hours at the motel owned by his mother and picked up other jobs outside of school to help pay the mortgage.
Working his way through college, Ingram graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor of science in four years and no debt. He earned acceptance in the national honor society, Alpha Zeta.
Ingram is passionate about giving back to his community and his country. He is committed to a number of business and civic organizations, and serves on the boards of the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona-Mexico Commission, Barrow Neurological Foundation (Emeritus), Translational Genomics Research Institute Foundation, C. M. Russell Museum, Shikar Safari Club International Foundation and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. He is one of the owners of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a Major League Baseball team. He is also actively involved with Pinnacle Forum, Focus on the Family, the Campus Crusade for Christ and its ministries within.
Jim Kenny, President
Jim Kenny joined El Dorado Holdings, Inc., in 2007. As president, he directs activity on existing investments and locates new investment opportunities in multiple real estate sectors, with a focus on properties where El Dorado can bring its market knowledge and experience to increase value for investors.
Prior to joining El Dorado, Kenny held positions of increasing responsibility at Richmond American Homes, one of America’s largest public homebuilders. As vice president of land acquisition and development, executive vice president and then president of the company’s largest division, he grew the company’s volume from under 1,000 to more than 3,000 homes delivered annually. Before Richmond American, he also worked for UDC Homes and Shea Homes in land acquisition and development.
Kenny serves on the boards of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance, and represents the real estate development industry on the Maricopa Association of Governments Economic Development Committee. Before moving to Phoenix, Kenny practiced law in Boston, Mass., with a focus on real estate, corporate and insurance litigation. He is a graduate of Suffolk University Law School and the College of the Holy Cross.
Linda Cheney, Vice President
Linda Cheney joined El Dorado Holdings, Inc., in March 2007. As vice president, Linda manages the various investor-owned land holdings in the City of Maricopa and in Pinal County. Linda has a masters of science in civil engineering and more than 30 years of broad-based experience in land acquisition due diligence, zoning, planning, engineering and land development.
An active member of Pinal Partnership, Linda is on the board of directors and serves as co-chair of the Pinal Partnership Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Linda also is a director on the board of Maricopa-Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District.
Debra Bricker, Designated Broker/Director
Debra Bricker joined El Dorado Holdings, Inc., 25 years ago on day two of the company’s inception. She is an officer and the Designated Broker of the corporation, overseeing multiple real estate holdings and serving as a liaison for all of El Dorado’s investors. Debra creates and maintains all records and ensures that El Dorado’s investors are well informed. She also assists El Dorado’s CEO, Mike Ingram, in his many philanthropic endeavors.
Prior to her work with El Dorado, Debra served as development manager and vice-president of The Coulter Agency, a real estate and development firm based out of Gillette, Wyoming, that specializes in residential subdivisions and government assisted multi-family apartment complexes. The Coulter Agency conducts business in multiple locations throughout Montana, Wyoming and Arizona.
Chris Grogan, Partner
Chris Grogan joined El Dorado Holdings, Inc., in 2011 and is responsible for building, strengthening and maintaining investor relationships while identifying and evaluating real estate opportunities. He brings to the team an expertise in market analysis and analytics as he tracks and compiles valuable and extensive market knowledge.
Prior to joining El Dorado, Chris was with Arizona’s leading brokerage firm, CB Richard Ellis (CBRE), where he developed expert market knowledge and expanded client relationships by providing top-tier, value-added services. Working for both CBRE Research and CBRE Brokerage Services, Chris specialized in commercial transactions including tenant representation and landlord representation, investment sales, land development and build-to-suit transactions.
A Phoenix native, Chris graduated from Brophy College Preparatory and went on to earn a bachelor of arts in business communications from Assumption College in Worcester, Mass.
Chris is an active member of Valley Partnership where he sits on the City/County Committee and Urban Land Institute where he sits on the Programs Committee. Outside of the industry, Chris is involved in his community is a variety of fashions including Co-Chairing the Arizona Wingshooter’s Classic in conjunction with Arizona Game & Fish benefiting Wildlife for Tomorrow, he is an active participant in Athletes in Action’s rotational events including the Super Bowl Breakfast and Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast. He has recently served on the Scottsdale Cultural Council’s young leaders board – Avant Garde on 2nd and is a past vice president of public relations for Arizona Biltmore Toastmasters.