Glen Curtis was a decorated pilot during World War II, later stationed at Luke Air Force base. After retiring from service as a Major, he piloted his plane throughout the U.S. experiencing new cities and new jobs, before settling in San Diego, California with his young wife.

In 1949, they left behind their small San Diego construction company, and moved to the Baja peninsula to begin a career in agriculture. It was the farmers in Baja who introduced Glen to Yuma, Arizona, and he began a life-long relationship with the city.

In 1950, Glen Curtis moved into his first Yuma home, a quaint adobe house surrounded by a few acres of citrus groves. He opened a real estate brokerage office, specializing in agricultural properties. While he and his wife raised twelve children, Mr. Curtis worked with a group of absentee farmers, brokering and managing more than 8,000 acres of citrus.

Over time, Glen Curtis purchased the land he managed, and developed an agricultural management company that employed a successful Honduran method for growing Citrus. A member of Sunkist Growers, Mission Citrus is recognized today as one of the largest lemon growers in the nation. The real estate brokerage firm, Glen Curtis, Inc., sells commercial and residential properties throughout the county and its sister company, Glen Curtis Development, Inc., plans and develops them.

Glen Curtis is a leader in the Yuma community, and has been named Citizen of the Year, Philanthropist of the Year, and Benefactor of the Year, among other honors. He continues to work actively in his companies which, managed by 20 of his children and grandchildren, are dedicated to the growth and progress of Yuma and the surrounding areas.