Kemper Freeman, Chairman and CEO of Kemper Development Company
Kemper Freeman is a third-generation resident of Bellevue, Washington. He is the principal owner and hands-on leader of Kemper Development Company, which has played an important role in Bellevue’s growth from the early days of downtown to the economic force the city is today. Though he went on to build one of the nation’s most successful shopping centers – Bellevue Square – Kemper today focuses an estimated 30 percent of his awake time not on his own buildings, but on community building. In addition to his support for expanding health and education opportunities and the arts, he is a strong promoter of smart, cost-effective transportation growth between Seattle and Bellevue. Kemper is a past Chairman of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the association’s Government Relations Committee and has served as a Trustee since 1987. He serves as a Board Member of Overlake Medical Center and the Performing Arts Center Eastside. Kemper is also an avid Rotarian, having never missed a monthly meeting somewhere in the country. Kemper will be discussing Downtown’s Bellevue “Economic Miracle” and the economic real estate boom that is already in progress.