Beyond EBITDA: Jim Brennan Bio

James G. Brennan is the owner and President of McKelvey Homes, the St. Louis area’s oldest and most established homebuilding company. Building a Tradition of Excellence since 1898, McKelvey Homes has grown to the fourth-largest homebuilder in St. Louis with 7 communities throughout St. Louis and St. Charles Counties as well as individual custom homes throughout the metropolitan area. Over the years, McKelvey Homes has built thousands of homes around the area, and has won numerous awards for excellence in design, construction, value, and customer service.

With more than 40 years of experience in real estate, construction, and homebuilding, Jim is well-known for his community service and his activities on behalf of the homebuilding industry. Outside of the office, Jim enjoys golfing, tennis, pickleball, and spending time with his family. He and his wife of 48 years, Rose, are very proud parents of three grown sons and even prouder grandparents to three beautiful grandchildren.

Jim is an active member of the Home Builders Association of St. Louis & Eastern Missouri (HBA). He has chaired numerous HBA committees over the years, including being president of the HBA as well as the Home Builders Charitable Foundation. In the past was elected to the prestigious Hall of Fame for Excellence in Achievement and received the Champion Builder Award for his exceptional service. Jim is a frequent industry speaker and is often quoted in local media on the status of homebuilding in our area.

A graduate of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Jim was honored with the Salute to Business Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership and Professional Achievement in Business and the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Jim has worked in a host of political, civic, and charitable organizations over the years, including being a Board Member for Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital for over 30 years. He served as President of the Cardinal Glennon Foundation Board of Governors, the Development Board, and Co-Chair of the Bob Costas Gala. He has also served as Co-Chairman of the Development Council for Habitat for Humanity, St. Louis Community College Foundation, and Leadership St. Louis.

Jim served on the Boards of Trustees for the Carpenters’ Health & Welfare, Vacation and Pension Trust Fund of St. Louis.

Jim is a major fundraiser for the Independence Center, helping those with mental illnesses. In 2017, he was named Dance Champion of Dancing with the St. Louis Stars, a fundraising event to benefit the Independence Center. In the Covid era of 2021, Jim achieved the Champion of Champions Award.

The 1898 Society is the philanthropic arm of McKelvey Homes, created to give back to the communities where we build and live. In honor of our founding year, the Society donates $1,898 for every home sold, with contributions directed to a different local nonprofit organization each quarter to address the most pressing community needs. Guided by the belief that “no one should be hungry, homeless, or without health care,” as shared by Rose Brennan, the 1898 Society is committed to making a lasting, meaningful impact by supporting organizations that strengthen families, provide stability, and improve quality of life across our region.

In 2019, Jim Brennan’s commitment to philanthropy became deeply personal when his grandniece was diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy. Motivated to help find a cure, Jim founded The Dance for Dravet, which has since become the largest fundraiser in the nation for the Dravet Syndrome Foundation. In just seven years, the event supported by McKelvey Homes as its main sponsor has raised more than $3 million, to advance research, treatment, and awareness. In recognition of his extraordinary leadership and impact, Jim was honored with the 2025 St. Louis Business Journal Innovation in Philanthropy Award, celebrating his ability to turn personal adversity into meaningful action that is improving lives and accelerating progress toward a cure.

In 2025 The St. Louis Business Journal awarded the Brennan family with the Family Business Award for outstanding leadership in preserving and strengthening the legacy of McKelvey Homes, Missouri’s oldest residential builder, founded in 1898. Since acquiring the company in 2001, Jim has honored its history while successfully guiding it into a new era of growth, innovation, and record performance. By fostering a strong family-first culture and involving his sons in leadership, he exemplifies the values of continuity, stewardship, and long-term vision that the Family Business Award celebrates.