Moving Industries Ahead

Founder of The Washington Companies

Montana industrialist Dennis R. Washington founded The Washington Companies, a dynamic group of privately held individual companies in the United States, Canada, China and Russia. Dennis, a self-made industry leader, built a worldwide heavy construction business that he sold in 2007. Today he owns companies in mining, railroads, marine transportation, shipbuilding, heavy equipment sales and environmental remediation. These operations include the largest privately held railroad in the U.S., heavy equipment dealerships in the U.S. and Russia, and one of Canada's largest marine service companies. In addition, Dennis owns major interests in aviation services and one of the world's leading containership owner/managers. His inspiring journey has been described as having achieved the American Dream.

Dennis has been recognized and honored by both peers and business and service organizations for his success and philanthropy. His notable awards include:

Honors

• » 2014 Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year Award, University of Victoria, Peter B. Gustavson School of Business - Read Times Colonist Article
• » Norman Vincent Peale Award, Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
• » Inducted into the Mining Hall of Fame
• » Honorary Doctorates, The University of Montana and The University of South Carolina
• » Moles Award for Outstanding Achievement in Construction, American Society of Civil Engineers
• » Lewis and Clark Pioneer Award, Montana Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs
• » Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement
• » Ellis Island Medal of Honor, National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations s

Philanthropy

In 1988, Dennis and his wife Phyllis created the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, dedicated to making an investment in people to improve the quality of their lives.

With particular emphasis on education, Dennis created the Horatio Alger Montana Undergraduate Scholarship program to help young people, who have faced adversity in their lives, to attend college. Moreover, the Dennis R. Washington Achievement Scholarship, through a $25 million endowment, provides aid to outstanding students pursuing Masters degrees.

The 65,000-acre Washington Family Ranch in Oregon was donated to the Young Life organization as a site for summer camps for young people. The Washingtons have provided continued support for expansion projects since the camp opened in 1999, including the completion of a new $33.4 million middle-school camp and visitor's center. The camp now hosts over 1,000 adolescents and teens each week.

The Washington's have long been supporters of the University of Montana. Notable projects they supported include the Washington Grizzly Stadium and the Phyllis J. Washington Education Center at the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences.

Biography

To learn more about Dennis R. Washington, download his full biography.

Mrs. Phyllis J. Peterson Washington, holds a B.A. in Education from the University of Montana in Missoula, where she met her husband, Dennis. She taught elementary school for several years, and later employed her talent as an interior decorator and antiquarian, operating PJ’s Interiors in Missoula. Her current business, Phyllis Washington Antiques/Maison Felice is located in Palm Desert, California.

Phyllis’ interest in education led to the popular Cultural Lecture Series held at Maison Felice. Phyllis is chairperson of the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation. She participated in the 2012 Milken Institute Global Conference as a Transformational Philanthropy panelist. Phyllis serves on the national board of Young Life, a nondenominational ministry for young people.

Phyllis devotes personal time to University of Montana fundraising efforts, having served several terms on the UM Foundation Board of Trustees. She chaired a record-setting UM capital campaign, a five-year effort for which she received UM’s 1999 Neil S. Bucklew Presidential Service Award. In 2009 Phyllis was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education from UM. Phyllis was instrumental in construction of the Phyllis J. Washington Education Center at the University of Montana, designed for training educators in the latest technologies and methods. In 2011, the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education and Human Sciences at UM was renamed in recognition of her lifelong support for education.

Mr. Kevin L. Washington is active in the management of family-owned businesses as well as actively seeking new business opportunities.

Kevin has broad experience in finance and operations. He started his career with the asset management firm Batchelder & Partners in San Diego, California and subsequently worked at family-owned Montana Rail Link Inc., the largest privately owned railroad in America.

Kevin is a founding partner of Aviation Partners and Aviation Partners Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Aviation Partners produces blended winglet technology for Boeing and several private aircraft manufacturers. Kevin assisted in the significant revenue growth of the companies and continues to hold a significant ownership interest.

Kevin graduated from the University of San Diego with a B.A. degree with a double major in Business and Communications. In addition to serving on the Board of the Killebrew-Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament, he is involved with the Boys & Girls Home in Montana as well as with a division of the Young Life organization in Oregon.

Mr. Kyle R. Washington is a member of the Board of Directors of various Washington Companies. He currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Seaspan Marine Corporation, where he is responsible for the overall corporate strategy and is active in the development of senior-level customer, supplier and governmental relationships. In addition, Kyle is Co-Chairman and Co-Founder of Seaspan Corporation, a leading independent owner and manager of containerships. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Greater China Intermodal Investments, a joint venture between the Washington family, Seaspan Corporation, the Carlyle Group and Tiger Management Limited.

Kyle was an ambassador to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and is an active supporter of many charitable organizations. He graduated the University of Montana with a degree in business administration.