Hugh Futrell

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Hugh Futrell, chief executive officer and co-shareholder of Hugh Futrell Corporation, has been developing, renovating and improving the North Bay since 1979. Born and raised in Santa Rosa, he has developed more than 45 projects including lower-income housing, commercial and midrise, mixed-use projects, hotels and healthcare facilities. After attending Montgomery High School and the Santa Rosa Junior College, he briefly strayed away from the area he’s called home his entire life to earn his degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Futrell has an extensive commitment to his community beyond operating his company. He has served as a chairperson for three different organizations: the Santa Rosa Redevelopment Agency, the Santa Rosa Housing Authority, and the Mobilehome Advisory Committee for the city.

He also serves as a member of the boards for the Committee to Preserve Santa Rosa Creek, the Sonoma County Museum, Main Street Santa Rosa, and the Sonoma County Drug Abuse Council. And in 2011, he received the “Best Small or Midsize Business” award from the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce. When Hugh is not at work or helping the community, he spends his leisure time with his wife of 19 years, Jane Zils Futrell. He loves to read, write, and enjoy local and national theater while continuing to play a myriad of sports. His two sons are pursuing different career paths. Holmes is a software engineer in San Francisco, and Tyler is a composer in Norway.

Were you a troublemaker as a kid?

No, not a troublemaker. Rules shouldn’t be broken—just evaded. (Sometimes.)

What was your major in college?

Philosophy. My senior thesis was “Elements of Ethics,” a study of Aristotle, Rawls and R.M. Hare. Post-BA coursework was in design, economics and accounting.

What got you interested in your field of work? Has it been a lifelong interest?

My parents were real estate brokers—my mother was among the first women brokers in Sonoma County. So possibly that background influenced me.  At UCSC, I went to College Eight, the environmental and design college, and this also influenced me. I directly entered the field because a school friend, Dan Bauman, offered me a job in land acquisition and planning. 

What do you consider your greatest professional achievement thus far?

“Greatest” is not a word I use.  After many meaningful, community-oriented projects over many years, what probably matters the most to me is the 200 or 300 lower-income, struggling families whose lives—above all, children’s lives—are better because of our affordable residential projects.

What’s the most important thing a parent can teach their kids?

Try to show them by what you do, and not only by what you say. Honesty, self-responsibility and empathy matter.

How did you and Jane raise your sons to be successful in meeting their goals?

Gave them room to seek their own path—listened to them.

What’s the best approach to use in negotiating a fair purchase price for a car or a house?

Know what you are going to do when the other person says “no.”

What’s the best remedy for anxiety when addressing a large group of people?

PSSB: Prepare. Smile. Slow down. Breathe.

What are you listening to during a commute to and from work?

A short drive from home to work, so I prefer silence to think or observe.

What are you writing when away from work?

That’s a world far away from the business.  I will say that at 16 I wrote a newspaper column for a local newspaper (the name withheld to protect the innocent) when I lived in Europe for a time. My writing career has been downhill since.

What’s a theater production you want to see next?

The sequel to Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

If you could have been a vice president to any American president, who would you choose?

One of them who wasn’t assassinated.

If you had to be a referee (or judge depending) for any sport as a permanent job, which would you choose?

Chess. Those guys get away with everything.

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