Rick J. Caruso | 2023 Presidential Medallion Honoree

Rick J. Caruso is a business innovator, civic leader, philanthropist, and USC Trustee. He is founder and Executive Chairman of Caruso, one of the largest private real estate companies in the United States. His company has built imaginative destinations that create a unique sense of community, including The Grove, The Americana at Brand and Palisades Village, which each rank within the country’s top ten in sales performance and attract millions of guests every year.  His beachfront resort in Montecito, Rosewood Miramar Beach, is the only hotel in North America and one of two globally honored with a double Forbes Five-Star designation, a Michelin One-Star rating and Michelin Green Star in sustainability.

Mr. Caruso’s storied public service career includes a tenure as President of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, during which he served under three mayors, and four years as President of the Los Angeles Police Commission. In 1991, he and his wife, Tina, founded the Caruso Family Foundation, which works to change lives by providing hundreds of scholarships and funding quality health care for people living at or below the poverty line.

Mr. Caruso’s philanthropy is deeply rooted in his faith, and he has generously supported faith-based programs serving the Los Angeles region. His commitment to USC spans more than four decades, and includes the establishment of the USC Caruso Catholic Center and Our Savior Parish Church, which provide spiritual support to the Trojan Family. In 2016, Pope Francis recognized him as a Knight Commander in the Order of St. Gregory the Great.