Since 1996, Debbie has been involved in the leadership of Laird Norton Company, a 168-year-old, eighth-generation Family business with a diverse portfolio of investments in real estate, wealth management, and consumer products.
Debbie served as a director of Laird Norton Company from 1996 to 2007 and in 2011, was elected to a second term and named board chair. She also chaired their largest subsidiary, Laird Norton Properties, a fully integrated real estate company. She was a member of their Nominating and Compensation Committees and served in an ex-officio role on their Governance Committee and Family Council. As board chair, Debbie worked closely with their independent CEO and Family Council President and together, the three of them collaborated on shareholder relations and communications. She also participated in the planning of the Laird Norton Company‘s annual Summit, a four-day retreat involving their entire family that now exceeds 525 members, 397 of which are shareholders.
During her first Board term, she served on their Compensation, Investment and Nominating Committees, and as a board liaison on the Company’s 2000 and 2010 Long Range Planning Committees. In 1991, prior to joining the board, Debbie led the planning and implementation of the Laird Norton Company Children’s Program, affectionately known as “Camp Three Tree.” She also contributed to the planning and implementation of the Next Gen Program for their young adult family members ages 21-40.
Outside of her involvement with her family company, Debbie has served as an independent director for many other family-owned companies. At present, she is a director of the Larry H. Miller Company, a multi-generation family-owned business headquartered in Utah. Since its founding in 1979, the LHM Company has successfully built a portfolio of operating companies in the automotive, finance/lending, sports and entertainment, and real estate spaces.
Debbie also previously served as a director of the North America chapter of the Family Business Network; a not-for-profit network of family businesses, committed to enhancing family governance and generational success. She has been an invited guest and speaker at numerous family business conferences and events. Debbie especially enjoys sharing her Family’s best practices and “lessons-learned” related to governance, shareholder communications, and family engagement.
In 1990, Debbie founded and served as CEO of Pacific Preschools, Inc., a network of private, high quality, worksite childcare programs. In 1997, she led the sale of the company to Bright Horizons, the premier provider of employer-sponsored childcare, and early education. For the next twenty years, Debbie served as their vice president of regional development during which time she led new site selection and assisted in the development of sixty new corporate-sponsored childcare facilities.
Debbie and her husband Henry live in a suburb of Seattle, Washington. They enjoy boating, kayaking, skiing, hiking, and most of all, spending time with their eight grandchildren, all under age twelve!
