Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead by Brené Brown is another one.
Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform in concert?
George Strait.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A baby dragon.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Kiss my wife and give her a hug. And say hi to the kids.
What are you superstitious about?
Um… I’m trying to think about what I do superstitiously. [His wife, Megan, suggests: “You always sit with your back toward the wall, Louis L’Amour style.”] Well, I gotta be facing the entrance!
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead by Brené Brown is another one.
Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform in concert?
George Strait.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
A baby dragon.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Kiss my wife and give her a hug. And say hi to the kids.
What are you superstitious about?
Um… I’m trying to think about what I do superstitiously. [His wife, Megan, suggests: “You always sit with your back toward the wall, Louis L’Amour style.”] Well, I gotta be facing the entrance!
Off the Cuff
orty years ago, the inaugural list of The New 49ers (as this magazine then called the highest-earning Alaskan-owned companies) included Debenham Electrical Supply at #27. Owning and operating its shops and warehouses paved the company’s transition from wholesaling into real estate. Now Shaun Debenham runs the sequel to his father’s company as a general contractor, property manager, and building developer.
“I definitely have a passion for structures and buildings, creating an environment that betters the city, betters the people and the landscape,” he says.
Debenham earned degrees in real estate development and structural engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and brought that know-how back to Alaska to construct badly needed multifamily housing. He also feels fortunate to have a friend in Dean Weidner, the Seattle-based magnate whose Alaska holdings span more than 4,000 apartment units. Debenham credits the growth in his business partly to Weidner’s mentorship.
“It’s something he didn’t need to do,” Debenham says, “but he’s got a nostalgia for Alaska.”
Shaun Debenham: I do a lot of road biking. Hiking and camping with the family.
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Debenham: Probably woodworking. I’m OK with it, but I never really had the time to develop it.
AB: What charity or cause are you passionate about?
Debenham: I’m passionate about helping the youth of our city. It’s difficult for them nowadays, so anything I can do to help them is important to me.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Debenham: Oh, man. Probably bungee jumping in New Zealand off a 300-foot bridge.
AB: What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Debenham: Italy. Gotta go to Italy.
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Debenham: I just bought a truck. I love my truck. It’s awesome! It’s incredible: Chevy Silverado Trail Boss. So it’s got a lift in it. It’s kind of my dream truck.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Debenham: Tommy’s Burger Stop.
AB: What’s your best attribute and worst attribute?
Debenham: I’m pretty organized; I can make complicated things simple. Worst attribute? Hmm. There’s just too many! Taking on too much, probably. More than I can do.
