It is my honor to introduce our newest member, DeWitt Jensen.  DeWitt’s classification is Engineering. He has been nominated by Einer Handeland and Ken Colling.

 

DeWitt was born and raised in Seattle, and it is here where his passion for the water and boating was nurtured.  His family founded Jensen Motor Boat Company in 1926 and manufactured over 250 wooden boats and repaired thousands of others over nearly a century of operations.  It was in that environment that DeWitt developed his own love of boating and wooden boats in particular.  In 1967, he and his father acquired Spencer’s Landing Marina on Lopez Island, and more than 50 years later he is president and owner. 

DeWitt earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington, and in 2018 retired from Sound Transit after a 45-year career in civil engineering, the last 7 1/2 years with Sound Transit.  He had a leadership role in some of the major infrastructure projects in our region, such as the Mercer Island Lid, the Light Rail project on the Eastside, the waterfront tunnel, and even the West Seattle Bridge (but not the part that is threatening to collapse). He continues to serve on the Visiting Committee for the UW civil engineering program.

 

DeWitt has two adult sons and he and his wife, Debra, live in North Capitol Hill.

 

DeWitt is attracted to Rotary by the many service activities that we do for the community, and he is also looking forward to networking with other like-minded folks.