A hotel owner and money manager invest in family and property.
Katy Durant | Gordon Sondland
K.D. Managing Partner, Atlas Investments; Cofounder, Gordon Sondland and Katherine J. Durant Foundation; former chair, Oregon Investment Council
Born, Portland
G.S. Founder and chairman of Provenance Hotels; Cofounder, Gordon Sondland and Katherine J. Durant Foundation; former chair, Governor’s Office of Film & Television.
Born, Seattle
How We Met
G.S. “I flew to Portland to look at a building Katy was marketing. My friend and mentor Howard S.Wright counseled me against the investment but advised me to ‘keep in touch with that broker; she is really pretty and smart.’”
K.D. “He really wasn’t my type. I was focused on showing him and Mr. Wright the building I hoped they would buy. I was not successful in that endeavor, but I sold it to someone else. Today we say it was the best deal we’ve ever done that didn’t go through.”
Engagement
Seattle | December 1992
K.D. “We got engaged right before we left to drive down to my grandparent’s ranch in Humboldt County for Christmas. He asked me to marry him, and in true Katy-Gordon fashion, I negotiated. I said I was keeping my name and staying in Portland. Luckily for me — my counter offer was not a deal breaker as we are closing in on 25 years.”
Nuptials
Oregon Golf Club | September 1993
G.S. “Watching Katy in her full length wedding gown, swinging a club, is something I will never forget.”
K.D. “Gordon was late. One of his groomsmen enjoyed teasing me that he had run for the hills. But I knew he had not.”
Work
G.S. “I enjoy the creativity in bringing life to a new project and the telling of a story.”
K.D. I love fixing/cleaning up things. I believe in simple. Real estate is pretty simple, but at times people can make it complicated.
Emblems
A first printing, first edition of Ayn Rand’s famous novel Atlas Shrugged, signed by the author and gifted to Katy from Gordon.
Marital dynamic
G.S. “We are opposites in most respects. Whether it’s food, music, movies or leisure activities, we joke that if one of us loves it, the other likely does not. Yet opposites attract, and our appreciation for each other’s interests and the common love of our children are the ties that bind us together.”
Home
Children
Max Sondland,
Lucy Sondland, 18
K.D. “About 10 years ago, we built our ‘forever family house’ on the coast. This year over the 4th of July, we housed six adults and 12 kids. Our family rule is that everyone needs to be present for family dinner; it makes for a fabulous and highly entertaining time.”
On Safari
Ol Jogi | Kenya
G.S. “Katy enjoys highly active vacations and I prefer relaxation, culinary and shopping. The sum of the parts is greater than the whole. A recent trip to the wildlife conservancy Ol Jogi in Kenya was both memorable and perfect for us both. Katy embraced her love of animals, hiking and fitness — we adopted two black rhinos — and I enjoyed the scenery, the spa experience and the outstanding wine and cuisine.”
Ambitions
G.S. “The ability to further expand our philanthropic efforts in education, children’s’ causes and the arts.”
Jay Leno collaborate annually to raise money for a Wounded Warrior charity
K.D. “I am excited about the opportunity to continue to grow my businesses. I am so lucky to have a job I love and to work with amazing people that make me better.”
A version of this article appears in the January 2018 issue of Oregon Business magazine.
