Keynote

On the future of Waterfront

• 

  Martin Selig

  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.

  Martin Selig Real Estate

  Founder

  Keynote

  Martin Selig

  Founder

  Martin Selig Real Estate

Creating Public Spaces & Fostering Community Engagement

Prioritizing the community, walkable spaces, and expansions

• 

  Joy Shigaki

  Joy Shigaki is a fourth-generation Seattleite and national leader in helping fund and deliver civic projects and initiatives like major parks. She recently joined Friends of Waterfront Seattle as President & CEO. With over 25 years of experience in the non-profit, government, and community-based arenas, Joy previously served as Campaign Director building the new Presidio Tunnel Tops Park in Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, a $98 million effort. Previously, she spent a decade in senior leadership fundraising roles with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and Coro New York Leadership Center. And in Seattle, she served as Capital Campaign Manager of Wing Luke Museum, creating the first permanent home for the museum. Joy has deep roots in Seattle’s communities and her early experiences in Seattle shaped her lifelong commitment and belief in parks, public spaces and public lands, which make for dynamic cities.

  Friends of Waterfront Seattle

  President & CEO

  Joy Shigaki

  President & CEO

  Friends of Waterfront Seattle

• 

  Bob Davidson

  Robert W. Davidson (Bob) became the President and CEO of the newly nonprofit Seattle Aquarium on July 1, 2010, after serving as CEO of the Seattle Aquarium Society since 2002. Davidson guided a repositioning of the Aquarium Society leading to the successful Aquarium Operations and Management Agreement with the City in 2009. A key component was the $41.5 million public/private New Currents Aquarium expansion in 2007, which has increased attendance and made Seattle the country’s ninth largest aquarium. Davidson was a leader in the earlier $40 million project to revitalize Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo as co-initiator of Mayor Royer’s Zoo Commission, Zoological Society board president and later as its Executive Director and CEO. These efforts paved the way for the Zoo’s transition to nonprofit management in 2002. Davidson holds an EMBA from the University of Washington and an AB from Harvard College, has served in senior government positions at the federal and state levels, and has held executive positions in manufacturing and private investment management. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Central Waterfront Partnerships Committee, and co-chair of its stewardship and operations subcommittee.

  Seattle Aquarium

  CEO

  Bob Davidson

  CEO

  Seattle Aquarium

• 

  Jon Scholes

  In November 2014 Jon Scholes became President and CEO of DSA following six years as the organization’s Vice President of Advocacy and Economic Development. He believes downtown Seattle is an essential voice of leadership in a rapidly growing and evolving city. Jon’s passion for taking on big issues is reflected in his 15 years of work in nonprofit advocacy, local government, and senior positions on statewide political campaigns. At DSA he leads a diverse team focused on creating a healthy, vibrant and inviting downtown. Jon is a member of the Visit Seattle Board of Directors and the Downtown Transportation Alliance and has served on a number of city and county task forces on transportation, homelessness and housing. He is a Puget Sound Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winner and a graduate of Leadership tomorrow. He attended the University of Texas in Austin before graduating from the University of Washington. Jon lives in downtown Seattle with his wife and seven-year-old twins, Parker and Avery. In his spare time Jon sails, skis and rides motorcycles. He loves how much mental focus and presence each activity requires.

  Downtown Seattle Association

  President & CEO

  Jon Scholes

  President & CEO

  Downtown Seattle Association

• 

  Mary Bacarella

  Mary Bacarella serves as the Executive Director of the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA). She joined the Market in January 2018. In her role at Pike Place Market, Bacarella is responsible for the overall operations including marketing, facilities management, and the preservation and development of the 110-year-old public market and 9-acre Market Historic District. Bacarella’s previous experience at key Seattle landmarks, including the executive level positions at the Space Needle LLC, Chihuly Garden and Glass, and Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), give her unique insight into the complex public agency of the Pike Place Market PDA.

  Pike Place Market

  Executive Director

  Mary Bacarella

  Executive Director

  Pike Place Market

• 

  Martha Weidmann

  As a formally trained artist, self-taught businesswoman, and lifelong entrepreneur, NINE dot ARTS CEO and Co-founder Martha Weidmann aims to be a mentor and champion for aspiring artists and business leaders alike. Martha and Co-founder Molly Casey formed NINE dot ARTS in 2009 with the vision of building a forward-thinking art consulting company that both curates incredible art experiences and advocates for art and artists. Since then, the firm has completed nearly 1,000 real estate projects across 39 states and five countries, generating more than $50M in revenue for the creative economy. Currently, their artist application, Dotfolio, features over 10,000 artists from around the world.

  NINE dot ARTS

  CEO and Co-founder

  Martha Weidmann

  CEO and Co-founder

  NINE dot ARTS

• 

  Christopher Bell

  Christopher has worked around the world on large-scale development projects. As an architect and planner, his expertise includes master planning new communities and towns; urban neighborhood development and regeneration; and the design of high-profile headquarters and high-rise buildings. Part of what makes Christopher a highly regarded designer is his ability to align big visions with human-scale considerations of livability, workability, sustainability for the users, and economic viability for the owners’ and clients’ needs and goals. He has developed a passion for elevating the human experience in livable urban environments that are accessible and amenity-rich, rooted places that leave a lasting and positive legacy.

  DLR Group

  Principal

  Moderator

  Christopher Bell

  Principal

  DLR Group

Developments & Investments Giving Life to Waterfront

Key players discussing the transformation through public and private developments

• 

  Salone Habibuddin

  Chief Real Estate Officer

  University of Washington

• 

  Trent Mummery

  Trent specializes in real estate development, as well as project and construction management. He has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and has been intimately involved in overseeing the development of more than $600 million in real estate projects. Prior to forming Trent Development, he was a partner of The Metropolitan Companies, established in 2007. Previously, Trent was the managing principal of TGM Management LLC, where he managed the development of a 700-acre master planned golf course community, the renovation of a mixed-use 235-unit condominium conversion and the construction of a new 66-unit apartment building. Prior to TGM Management LLC, Trent was a partner in both The Sterling Group and The Triple T Group, where he managed the renovation and adaptive reuse of numerous apartment building and warehouse conversions. Trent is known for his ability to coordinate complicated projects in order to achieve great results. In addition to an extensive Seattle-based portfolio, he has worked on projects in Japan, Vancouver, BC; San Francisco and Camdenton, Missouri.

  Trent Development

  President

  Trent Mummery

  President

  Trent Development

• 

  Patrick Gordon

  Patrick Gordon is a bridge builder in every sense of the word. He is driven by the belief that in building, nurturing, and maintaining relationships in the communities of his clients, one creates the opportunities for successful outcomes, and he has proven this through active participation on public and private boards throughout the community. Major clients such as Microsoft, Expedia Group, Vulcan, and Amazon actively seek him out for strategic insight on projects, initiatives, and civic policies that impact the built environment in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With nearly five decades of professional practice, his far-reaching impact is evident in the fabric of our downtown urban environments, corporate campuses, civic and cultural centers, and institutions of higher education throughout the region. Patrick currently sits on the Boards of Directors for the Downtown Seattle Association and Friends of Waterfront Seattle. He has previously served on the Board of Ambassadors for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, the Board of Trustees for AIA Seattle, and Seattle Architectural Foundation.

  ZGF Architects

  Principal

  Patrick Gordon

  Principal

  ZGF Architects

• Moderator

  Matthew Markovich

  Attorney

  Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson

Opening Remarks

From the Mayor's office

• 

  Adiam Emery

  Adiam Emery brings over 28 years of experience working in City of Seattle government. As the Director of the Transportation Operations Division at the Seattle Department of Transportation, Emery has served as an SDOT representative on multi-agency teams focused on regional multimodal transportation management. Working with community and transportation stakeholders to prioritize equity throughout SDOT projects, Emery has implemented policies such as leading pedestrian intervals at all signalized intersections, decreasing speed limits in all arterial streets to 25MPH, and establishing the Transportation Equity Framework. Emery is an executive advisor for the Black employee resource group, working to develop equitable practices around recruitment, retention, and employee professional growth within the department.

  Office of Mayor Bruce Harrell, City of Seattle

  Executive General Manager

  Adiam Emery

  Executive General Manager

  Office of Mayor Bruce Harrell, City of Seattle