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Lifetime Achievement Award: Dan Washburn, CEO, Windermere Real Estate/Whatcom<br />
Windermere operations. Both individually<br />
and collectively, reflective<br />
of both the parent company’s<br />
and Washburn’s core values,<br />
Windermere lends high energy<br />
and dollars to causes for homeless,<br />
single mothers, and children<br />
throughout the county. And, the<br />
Windermere Foundation flourishes<br />
through receiving a percentage of<br />
every home sales commission.<br />
Washburn’s children became<br />
involved in Young Life while<br />
in school, and Dan has been<br />
involved neck-deep in that organization,<br />
as well as Boys & Girls<br />
Clubs of America. He’s served<br />
on the Whatcom Clubs’ board<br />
of directors, and now sits on the<br />
fund-raising Board of Governors.<br />
And, the Washburns are active<br />
with many activities in hospice,<br />
PeaceHealth St. Joseph<br />
Medical Center, and at Northlake<br />
Community Church.<br />
“Sharon and I have always<br />
done things together,” Dan said.<br />
“In this business we’re co-owners.<br />
She’s not a real-estate agent,<br />
but she’s always taking care of<br />
things around the office, taking<br />
care of staff, and the like.” The<br />
Washburn’s son, Rob, and oldest<br />
daughter, Danielle, have a role in<br />
the family’s Windermere operation.<br />
The youngest daughter, Deidre,<br />
resides in Carnation, Wash.<br />
The impression clearly is that,<br />
as foreign as real estate was to<br />
Dan Washburn, the somewhatimpulsive<br />
plunge into it has<br />
worked to near perfection.<br />
“We looked at different opportunities,<br />
some retail, but nothing<br />
really matched what I could bring<br />
to the table in expertise until this,”<br />
Washburn said. “Even though<br />
I’d never sold real estate, I’d run<br />
sales organizations. It’s the same,<br />
really – dealing with sales people<br />
creatively, setting a platform for<br />
success, marketing, motivating and<br />
leading. I felt I could add value.”<br />
Planned and purposefully…<br />
During Washburn’s 17 years with Windermere, the business has sold more than 17,000<br />
homes in excess of $6 billion – more than double the next real-estate competitor in the<br />
county in both categories.<br />
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50 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
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