Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, is sworn in before testifying before the House Intelligence Committee at the Longworth House Office Building on Wednesday, November 20, 2019, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

About Katherine Durant
Known AsKatherine Sondland
Age60 Years
BirthAugust 20, 1963
GenderFemale
SpouseGordon Sondland September 1993 - Present
ChildrenLucy Sondland, Max Sondland
AddressPortland, Oregon
CountryUnited States
NationalityAmerican
JobManaging Partner, Chairman
OwnsSondland-Durant Foundation, Atlas Investments
AlumniPepperdine University, Willamette University
HometownPortland, Oregon

In the latest developments from the ongoing impeachment inquiry, the focus has fallen squarely on Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the E.U. His testimony before the House Intelligence Committee that he brokered a “quid pro quo” arrangement with Ukraine under President Trump’s orders has changed the course of the impeachment inquiry. Now the attention is not only on Sondland, but also his wife and family. Gordon Sondland’s wife, Katherine Durant, is just as influential in their home state of Oregon as the once-hotel magnate was. Our Katherine Durant wiki details her prominent presence in the Beaver State economy.

Katherine Durant Worked in Real Estate

Oregon native Katherine Durant was born on August 20, 1963. She has a BS in business from Pepperdine University as well as an MBA in finance from Willamette University.

More than two decades ago, Durant was a real estate broker in Portland. In the ’00s, she was associated with Trammell Crow Company, which deals in real estate investments. She even featured in local news stories for the buildings she was marketing at the time.

“I love fixing/cleaning up things. I believe in simple. Real estate is pretty simple, but at times people can make it complicated,” Durant said about her job.

It was through her job as a broker that she met her future husband as well.

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Durant and Gordon Sondland Married in 1993

Washington native Gordon Sondland recalled the time many years ago when he was interested in investing in a building in Portland under Durant’s portfolio. His friend, Howard S. Wright, advised him against the investment, but told him to keep in touch with the “really pretty and smart” broker.

While Katy Durant had caught the hotel tycoon’s eye, she couldn’t say the same about him. “He really wasn’t my type. I was focused on showing him and Mr. Wright the building I hoped they would buy. I was not successful in that endeavor, but I sold it to someone else. Today we say it was the best deal we’ve ever done that didn’t go through,” said Durant.

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They eventually clicked and dated. Then, in December 1992, before they would spend Christmas at Durant’s grandparents’, he proposed to her.

“He asked me to marry him, and in true Katy-Gordon fashion, I negotiated. I said I was keeping my name and staying in Portland. Luckily for me—my counter offer was not a deal breaker as we are closing in on 25 years,” shared Durant.

Durant did keep her last name when the couple tied the knot in September 1993 at the Oregon Golf Club.

Durant and Sondland Have Two Children

The couple are parents to two grown children, Max and Lucy. Max, who is set to graduate from Duke University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2020, has been building his resume with internships in the investment banking sector.

It’s Lucy Sondland, however, who is getting the attention. She’s among the new generation of rich and famous scions entering the modeling industry.

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Signed with Option Models and Media in Portland, this Duke University student has her portfolio on her website from her local gigs. But that’s the only place you can keep up with this aspiring model. She’s kept a low profile and turned her Instagram to private while her dad is involved in the impeachment hearings.

Durant Was Active in Local Portland Organizations

With their philanthropic work and presence in local economic bodies of Portland, Durant and Sondland were dubbed as the city’s “Power Couple.” They co-founded the family’s charitable organization, Sondland Durant Foundation, in 1999, which she continues to run.

They also founded Atlas Investments, a company with a portfolio of shopping centers throughout Oregon. Durant serves as the managing partner of Atlas.

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Durant herself has served on the Pratt School of Engineering Board of Visitors at Duke University; Portland Art Museum Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Chair of the Investment Committee; Jesuit High School Board of Trustees; and Elevate Oregon Board of Directors. She’s also been chairman of the Oregon Investment Council, which oversees the investment of the Oregon PERS funds; Columbia-Willamette YMCA Board of Directors; and Cascade AIDS Advisory Board.

When Ted Kulongoski began his term as governor of Oregon (from 2003 to 2011), Sondland had headed Kulongoski’s transition team. The governor later appointed Durant to the Oregon Investment Council.

Her new position gained flak, considering the Sondland-Durant influence in Portland businesses and potential conflicts of interest. However, in light of the criticism, Durant stepped back from her job at Trammell Crow but continued to head Atlas.

Oregon news outlets report that Sondland is a registered Republican, while Durant is registered as a Democrat. Nonetheless, they have made sizable donations to campaigners on both sides in the past.

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