Seattle Forecast 2017

Over the past six decades, Martin Selig has turned his two person company into a billion dollar enterprise. He’s built his business (and much of the city) from the ground up, and he’s not stopping anytime soon. So what’s his secret to doing business? Martin won’t tell, but some might say it’s the structure of his company: everything comes back to him. Where some developers have boards, partners, and commissions, Martin and Martin alone is at the helm of his ship. This enables him to make quick decisions and never keep people waiting. His advice to any aspiring entrepreneurs? Do it how he did: Jump in the deep and and see if you can swim. While most people are either creative types or number gurus, Martin is an anomaly: he’s a creative spirit with billionaire business sense. His door is always open, and if his team needs anything, they need only enter his corner office with glass walls and a bird’s eye view of the city he’s built. Compared to other commercial real estate companies, he adds, his team has a lot more fun. Martin’s favorite project is always his current project, and he’s happiest when there’s a hole in the ground, on its way to becoming the next addition to Seattle’s skyline. He’s also an artist and art connoisseur. He’s made many contributions to Seattle’s art scene, from the giant popsicle statue outside his property on 4th and Blanchard, to “Adam” by Fernando Botero outside the old Federal Reserve Building, to the John Henry “Songbird” Sculpture at 5th and Yesler, to the Barbara Hepworth “Three Obliques” at 645 Elliott, and the list goes on. Martin got into the real estate business in 1958 because “he didn’t trust the stock market.” His team likens him to The Wizard of Oz and Walt Disney: someone with unparalleled imagination who’s unafraid to think outside the box. If he has a goal, he won’t stop until he’s achieved it. They say the reason for the company’s success is easy: it’s Martin. There’s only one Martin Selig. Though Martin has called the Emerald City home for his entire life, he wasn’t born here: he and his family escaped Nazi Germany in 1940 by sneaking onto the Trans Siberian Railroad. They travelled through Europe and Asia by train, then boarded a boat bound for San Francisco from Japan. When their ship entered Elliott Bay the mountains were out and the sun was shining, so on a whim, his family ended their journey in Seattle. This place is Martin’s home, and he’s been here ever since. In his spare time, he enjoys riding motorcycles, skiing, and painting.

Roger Valdez is the Director of Seattle For Growth. Over the past two decades Roger has worked at the state, regional, and local level on issues ranging from public education to public health. He was Neighborhood Development Manager for the City of Seattle and managed King County's efforts to implement Washington's ban on smoking in bars, restaurants, and other work places. Most recently he was housing director at a local non-profit, managing and developing affordable housing.

Mr. Wise has overall responsibility for the formulation and successful implementation of North American real estate investment strategies for the firm’s institutional and private clients. Mr. Wise brings nearly 40 years of substantial real estate experience and leadership to the firm. Prior to joining Metzler in 2003, he directed asset management for Unico Properties and, earlier, that company's property management and leasing group. Mr. Wise also led various real estate assignments in principal markets across the US on behalf of JLL. He began his career with The Austin Company, where he helped design and build a number of industrial, laboratory and office facilities. Mr. Wise is active in the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE). He also serves several non-profit and civic organizations including YouthCare, Leadership Tomorrow, and the Downtown Seattle Association. Mr. Wise holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University and a MS in Civil Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He also completed the Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Suzanne Dale Estey is a Partner with Gallatin Public Affairs where she provides strategic communications, government relations and economic development services to some of the region’s leading businesses and organizations. A Seattle native with more than 25 years’ experience delivering results in economic development, intergovernmental relations and nonprofit leadership, Suzanne has a unique public-private understanding of policy making. Most recently, Suzanne served as the President & CEO of the Economic Development Council of Seattle & King County (EDC). At the EDC, Suzanne fostered partnerships to protect and create more than 6,500 King County jobs at 75 companies, and generate over $750 million in new investment, helping drop countywide unemployment to historic lows. Suzanne previously served as Economic Development Director for the City of Renton; Vice President of Government & Industry Relations for Washington Mutual; State & Federal Government Relations Manager for the King County Executive; State Lobbyist for the City of Seattle; Federal Legislative Analyst for the Governor of Washington; Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at The White House; Pacific Northwest & Texas Program Director for Junior Statesmen, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, civics education program for high school student leaders, and she also ran a consulting firm. Suzanne serves as a board member of the Washington Economic Development Association, The Junior Statesmen Foundation, Renton Technical College and the Seattle Colleges Advisory Councils, CCER/Road Map Project, and she is President of the University of Washington (UW) Alumni Association board. A K-12 graduate of Seattle Public Schools, Suzanne received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Politics from Whitman College and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Daniel J. Evans School at the University of Washington. She and her husband, Mike, have two active school-age sons.