Gordy Giovanelli

Gordy Giovanelli sat in the bow seat for the University of Washington four, which won all its races easily both at the U.S. Final Trials and the London Olympic Games. Though the varsity eight did not fare so well during Giovanelli’s stay at Washington, in 1949 he was on the junior varsity eight that won the IRA junior varsity title.

Giovanelli graduated from the University of Washington with a BS degree in accounting earning his CPA license, and then joined the accounting firm of Arthur Anderson & Co. From there, he moved to Idaho to run a lumber mill. At age 32, he returned to U Washington, earning his MBA degree.

He then went on to a wide range of entrepreneurial career experiences, first forming Husky Lumber Company, a lumber brokerage firm, and serving as President. He then became President of Laucks Laboratory, and after selling Laucks, he became Chairman of the Board of a Bellevue community bank, Bank of the West. While at the bank, he was elected Trustee and Treasurer of First General Real Estate and Resources Trust out of New York.

Giovanelli later moved into commercial development in the Bellevue, Washington area, where he became partners with Hal Willits, who remained his partner and a lifelong friend. They later moved to Scottsdale and then Tucson, Arizona, developing land and building homes and condos. Giovanelli finished his career developing land in San Diego, California, where he retired in 1996.