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Any leader who steps into the role of CEO at an established company competes with the legacy of their predecessors. Only some of us are lucky enough to have had a mentor come before them, one who was as vested in their successor\u2019s success as they were in their own. Jerry Lee, now a retired architect and executive director of our MG2 Foundation, was my CEO predecessor at MG2 and my mentor.<\/p>\n
Jerry has always understood growth as something far deeper than financial success. From the earliest days of his career, he learned that resilience and purpose come from how we show up for others. \u201cPart of being generous,\u201d he once said in a commencement speech at Washington State University, \u201cis basically being helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Helpfulness\u2014it\u2019s so basic, but so profoundly important. He learned the value of helping from his parents. \u201cMy mom and pop had a grocery store in Seattle, and it was in a rough area\u2014all the businesses around their store had been tagged or had their windows broken, except ours,\u201d he recalled to me recently. \u201cAnd there was a good reason for that. When someone came in hungry, my dad always gave them something to eat. That was a part of my upbringing, to be part of a community, not just a business in a community.\u201d<\/p>\n
This grounding in humility and helpfulness informs every choice he makes, whether leading MG2 or giving back to the community. \u201cOur mindset was never about the bottom line,\u201d he says. For Jerry, success is measured by connection, impact, and the relationships we build along the way. He sees generosity not as an obligation, but as a source of mutual growth: \u201cWhen you give, you get back more in return.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jerry\u2019s propensity to connect with people is not just natural\u2014it\u2019s catalytic. Whether mentoring young architects, raising funds for cancer research, or spearheading community initiatives, he creates momentum simply by showing up and inviting others to do the same.<\/p>\n
On one long-discussed project in Seattle\u2019s Chinatown\/International District, he demonstrated this instinct in action: \u201cA group approached us and asked if MG2 could help with the Chinatown Gate. They had been working on it for 50 years. Fifty years! Well, I said, \u2018why don\u2019t we just do it?\u2019\u201d\u00a0 He helped, raising funding from scratch, contributing pro bono work, and bringing a decades-long vision to life. This drive is rooted in the belief that leadership requires generosity, patience, and dedication. Jerry\u2019s philosophy extends beyond business: It guides how he engages with the broader community. From the annual Rotisserie Chicken Delivery, our charitable drive that serves hundreds of chickens and fixings to people in need over the holidays, to that now historic Chinatown Gate, his initiative shows how small, deliberate acts can multiply into lasting impact.<\/p>\n
The impetus behind his commitment is deeply personal. Jerry has seen firsthand how loss and hardship shape character. He would be the first to tell you that in the beginning, he was a hard-driving CEO, which was reflected in the firm\u2019s work culture. \u201cI was very focused. It was stressful.\u201d But that changed after his late wife was diagnosed with cancer. \u201cI was able to put myself in other people\u2019s shoes. That had a lot to do with it. I was a lot more understanding after she passed away,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The work was never about recognition or accolades\u2014it was about creating connection, fostering resilience, and leaving communities stronger than he found them. Every decision, every project, every moment of engagement is a chance to build something bigger than himself. In his own words, the practice of generosity, commitment, and courage isn\u2019t optional\u2014it\u2019s the foundation of growth, both in business and in life.<\/p>\n
Taken together, Jerry\u2019s story underscores a consistent throughline: Leadership, at its best, is relational rather than transactional. From lessons learned behind a grocery counter to building an international architecture firm and sustaining decades of civic engagement, his impact has come not from scale alone, but from intention\u2014listening carefully, investing in people, and acting decisively when something meaningful needed to be done. Whether growing MG2 by empowering others or strengthening communities through quiet generosity, Jerry demonstrates that enduring success is built one connection at a time, guided by humility, trust, and a belief that what we give\u2014our time, attention, and care\u2014ultimately shapes the legacy we leave behind.<\/p>\n