Dr. Steven D. Tufts - Biography
Steve is an experienced business leader and a dedicated educator with success as a corporate executive, an entrepreneur, and a teacher.
Steve received a Doctor of Business Administration degree from the University of Florida, an MBA from the University of Virginia, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida. After receiving his DBA in 2017, Steve joined the faculty of UF's Warrington College of Business as a Clinical Professor teaching classes in marketing, sales, entrepreneurship, and real estate. His areas of academic interest include salesperson performance, salesperson influence, entrepreneurial strategy, and residential real estate market analysis. He taught at UF from July 2017 through December 2024.
While at UF, he received the 2019-2020 Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award and the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award from the UF College of Business. He was elected to the UF Faculty Senate and appointed to the UF President's Title IX Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics. He is Director of the UF Professional Selling Program. He also served as a Faculty Adviser to the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the American Marketing Association, as well as several student organizations. He recently co-authored a textbook on consultative selling.
Steve is not a typical university academic. Prior to joining the UF Faculty, Steve spent almost 40 years in both corporate and entrepreneurial business pursuits. He continues to be a semi-active Licensed Real Estate Broker as the founder and owner of the Atlantic Partners Group at Keller Williams Realty, recently ranked in the Top 100 brokerage groups nationally. As a member of the prestigious KW International Master Faculty, he is also known for his upbeat style of executive education in the areas of personal performance, business development and financial management. Previously, he owned companies in the title insurance, food manufacturing, disaster restoration, and mold abatement industries along with several commercial investment properties.
Prior to venturing out on his own, Steve’s corporate career included senior executive positions at well-known companies such as Progressive Insurance Co., Anthem, Inc., and Great American Insurance Co., as well as a CEO role in a specialty insurance group. Much earlier, as his corporate career was accelerating, he held positions in marketing/sales management, strategic planning, and engineering.
He is a Florida native, the proud father of 3 successful daughters and a grandfather of 6 (so far). He and his wife Barbara reside in Jacksonville, Florida. They enjoy travel, boating, music, cycling, Gator sports, and anything that puts them near blue water or snow-capped mountains.