William P. McCormick
William (Bill) McCormick was born on August 18, 1939, in Providence, Rhode Island. He attended Roger Williams Jr. College and Boston University while serving in the Army Reserve Military Police until he was honorably discharged in 1963. He then moved to Northern California and worked in the brokerage office of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company in San Francisco until 1965. It was at this time that he became a partner in the Refectory Steak House Restaurant chain. By the early 1970s, Ambassador McCormick had moved further north to Portland, Oregon and sold his interest in the Refectory Restaurants. In 1973, he purchased the landmark restaurant "Jake's Famous Crawfish" and within the year had partnered with Doug Schmick. While growing the successful restaurant company he attended the Harvard Graduate School of Business, Executive Management Program in 1979. Today there are 93 McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants in 24 states. The company went public in July 2004 and is traded on the NASDAQ. Ambassador McCormick currently serves as Chairman Emeritus.
Throughout his business career Ambassador McCormick's civic and charitable involvement has been far reaching and encompassing virtually all aspects of society and its institutions. He has provided thousands of pounds of food for the Pasadena, California food bank, 10,000 books for disadvantaged children in Los Angeles County and began the Shamrock Run twenty seven years ago for the benefit of many service organizations in Portland, Oregon. As co-chair of the Portland Opera Foundation, he was successful in raising $24 million dollars to help sustain that organization in the future.
He served as the US Ambassador to New Zealand from 2005-2007 and received the Sue Cobb Award for his service there. Ambassador McCormick was recently awarded the Secretary's Award by the US Department of Veteran's Affairs for his contributions and recognition of the nation's veterans. Each year McCormick & Schmick Seafood Restaurants provides over 17,000 complimentary meals to veterans visiting any McCormick & Schmick restaurant on Veteran's Day.
Ambassador McCormick's community and national involvement has included serving on the boards of such organizations as the Oregon Historical Society, The Portland Opera, North West Mental Health Services, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, President of the Portland Police Chief's Forum, St. Vincent's Hospital Heart Institute, the High Desert Museum, Vice-Chair of the Citizen's Crime Commission, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Portland State University's Business School Advisory Committee, Oregon Health Science University, The Oregon Restaurant Association's Board, Executive Committee and their Political Advisory Committee. National involvement includes the National Restaurant Association's Board and Government Affairs Chairman, Finance Chairman for Gordon Smith for US Senate, Bush for President Finance Co-Chair and Republican National Committee Finance Committee (Oregon Chairman).
