2000 Honorees, H. Jon Runstad and Judith M. Runstad

In her firm and her community, Judy Runstad is known for crafting winning solutions to challenging problems - breaking barriers and gaining widespread support along the way. Through her compassion, intelligence and inclusive style of business and civic leadership, Judy brings to life the qualities we honor with the E. Donnall Thomas Medal of Achievement.

When a major land-use policy is in the making, chances are that Judy's experience and insight have helped to shape it. She is a highly regarded land-use attorney at Foster, Pepper &amp Shefelman PLLC, a professional limited liability company which she joined in 1974 after receiving her law degree from the University of Washington. Over a 25-year career, she has advised clients on projects ranging from high rise office projects, to medical and educational campuses, to marinas, to destination resorts, to football stadiums. Her clients have included Wright, Runstad &amp Company, Paul Allen's Football Northwest, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Kenny G. A close advisor to Governor Locke, she has served on four gubernatorial commissions dealing with environmental and land-use issues since 1987.

In everything she undertakes, Judy breaks new ground. She was the first woman president of the Downtown Seattle Association and, in 1988, the first woman elected to chair the United Way campaign. She recently served as chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Currently, she serves on the boards of Wells Fargo Bank; SAFECO Corporation; Potlatch Corporation, Downtown Seattle Association; Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce; Seattle University; Seattle Alliance for Education; and the Hoover Institution Board of Overseers. She is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. Her involvement also extends to continuing support of CARE and other humanitarian organizations.

Judy received The University of Washington Outstanding Alumna Achievement Award in 1996 and its Distinguished Alumna Award in 1992. Her other honors include the Matrix Women of Achievement Award, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in American Women, and Best Lawyers in America awards.

The other half of Seattle's influential husband-and-wife team, Jon Runstad has dedicated his personal and professional life to building community. With the E. Donnall Thomas Medal of Achievement, we honor his generosity of energy and vision, which he has concentrated in his native Seattle as Chairman and CEO of Wright, Runstad &amp Company.

Jon graduated from the University of Washington with degrees in building construction and economics. After a year with the Ministry of Public Building Works in London, he completed his formal education with a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Recently referred to as the "Dean of Downtown" by Washington CEO Magazine, Jon has been involved in the development of more than 14 million square feet of office space on the west coast since he co-founded Wright, Runstad &amp Company in 1972 with the late Howard S. Wright. The company is also the fourth-largest property management firm in Washington, handling such premium properties as Wells Fargo Center, Washington Mutual Tower, and Bank of America Tower. Recent Wright, Runstad &amp Company development projects include King Street Center and World Trade Center—both major public-private partnerships in Seattle that benefit from Jon's knowledge of, and interest in, benefiting both sectors. Other recent projects include Amazon.com Tower, Three Bellevue Center and Sunset Corporate Campus North in Bellevue, and ODS Tower in Portland.

The places where public and private interests converge have always attracted Jon's talent and resources. He served on the University of Washington Board of Regents from 1987 to 1998 and currently is on the boards of Equity Office Properties Trust; Washington Roundtable; Downtown Seattle Association; Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce; Seattle Symphony; and University of Washington Board of Rowing Stewards. He is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable and the Urban Land Institute and a former member of the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board. He was the Associate General Chairman of three different United Way campaigns. In 1989, he received the Greater Seattle Businessperson of the Year Award in Commercial Real Estate.

Jon and Judy recently committed a major gift to the University of Washington to establish the H. Jon and Judith M. Runstad Endowment for Excellence in Real Estate. The Endowment will fund the Runstad Professorship in Real Estate and will support the newly named Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies.

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