John Akridge III is many things: a patriot, philanthropist, savvy developer, and good guy. And last week, we were thrilled to honor the man who got his nickname because his dad said he was "a Chip off the old block."

We secretly arranged for Chip's friend, fellow development titan Herb Miller (right) to make a surprise appearance and present him the Bizzy, an award we give to honor lifetime vision and achievement. Some other facts you might not know about the Knoxville, TN-native: he reported for Vietnam duty the day after graduating from Harvard Business School, and he's also an avid marathoner, even having run one on the Great Wall in China. His personal criteria for doing a deal: It has to be "legal, moral, ethical, first class, and stand a chance of making money."

Before receiving the award, Chip talked about another passion: chairing the Trust for the National Mall. He's helped raise over $45M the past seven years, and reported the first phase of restoration (replacing green panels) has finished, while the second and third phases will commence this fall.