Ray Willets Washburne is an American businessman, political fundraiser, and government official. He co-founded the M Crowd Restaurant Group, which owns Mi Cocina and other restaurants. He served as President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation from 2017 to 2019 and as a member of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board from 2019 to 2020.
Ray Washburne | |
|---|---|
 Ray Washburne in 2021 | |
| President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation | |
| In office September 5, 2017 – March 1, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth Littlefield |
| Succeeded by | David Bohigian (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ray Willets Washburne 1960 (age 63–64) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Southern Methodist University (BA) |
Previously, he has served as an adjunct professor at Cox School of Business.[1]
Career
editBusiness
editWashburne is a co-founder of the M Crowd Restaurant Group, owning forty-six restaurants, including the Mi Cocina and Taco Diner restaurant chains.[2][3] He also has real-estate developments in several states and is the CEO of Charter Holdings. In 2009, Washburne and his family bought the Highland Park Village, an upscale shopping center in Dallas, for $170 million (~$235 million in 2023).[2][3]
In December 2020, Washburn'e HP Village Management was contracted by the owners of Knox Street District in Dallas to assist with the leasing, marketing, and management of their property.[4]
In April 2022, Washburne's HP Village Management acquired a stake in the shopping center Phillips Place, located in Charlotte, North Carolina.[5][6] In the same month, Washburne's Charter Holdings acquired Watters Creek shopping center in Allen, Texas.[7]
In June 2024, Washburne's HP Village Management acquired Country Club Plaza in Kansas City from Macerich and Taubman Centers.[8][9] The acquisition followed a discussion at an Urban Land Institute conference in May 2024, where Nuveen, a lender associated with Highland Park Village, approached Washburne about a new project.[8] Washburne, who had previously invested over $100 million in Highland Park Village, would make a substantial investment in the Missouri complex with Nuveen remaining involved.[8] The redevelopment plan for Country Club Plaza includes its division into several districts, each dedicated to contemporary fashion, food and beverage, and luxury and designer goods.[8]
Washburne is currently the Chairman of the Board of Sunoco, LP.[10] He is also a member of Council on Foreign Relations and a board member of SMU Cox School of Business Executive Committee.[11][12]
Government
editOn June 5, 2017, President Trump nominated Washburne as president of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.[13] The U.S. Senate confirmed him by voice vote on August 3, 2017.[14] He worked to increase the OPIC's funding and activities despite the Trump administration's previous plans to shut down the agency.[15][16][17] In 2018, Washburn led the effort to create the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) which replaced OPIC with a merger of entities from USAID, State Department, and OPIC.[18]
In February 2019, Washburne announced he would resign as OPIC's head on March 1.[19][20]
In 2019, Washburne was appointed to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.[21][22]
In 2019, Washburne was appointed to the advisory board of the US Military Southern Command.[23]
Political fundraising
editWashburne was actively involved in raising money for George W. Bush's presidential campaigns in both 2000 and 2004, and in the following years continued to raise money for the Republican Party.[24] In 2011, he became finance chairman of Governor Tim Pawlenty bid for President.[25] Later, in the 2012 presidential election, he backed Mitt Romney, the Republican Party's nominee, and became the campaign's Texas co-chair, while also raising money.[26][27] Following the 2012 election, in which Romney was defeated, Washburne became the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, during which he raised $160 million (~$210 million in 2023) for the party.[28]
In 2015, he became a part of Chris Christie's 2016 campaign for president, serving as the finance chairman.[27] Christie subsequently conceded in the race, and after Donald Trump emerged as the Republican front-runner, Washburne raised money for Trump's campaign and became the vice chairman of the Trump Victory Committee, which acted as a bridge between the campaign and the RNC.[29][30] After Trump's victory, he was the head on the Trump transition team for the Commerce Department.[31]
In 2020, Washburne played a role in convincing Trump to call for restoring a tax break allowing corporations to fully deduct restaurant meal and entertainment costs.[32][33][34]
Personal life
editWashburne was born in Dallas, Texas in 1960, and was raised in Highland Park, later graduating from Southern Methodist University. In 1997 he married Heather Hill, a descendant of H. L. Hunt.[2]
In 2021, Washburne committed $5,000,000 to SMU to construct the new Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium.[35] The facility has been recognized as one of the finest facilities for college soccer and completed the urban design of the campus.[35]
Awards and recognition
editReferences
edit- ^ "Setting the pace for future athletic achievements". www.smu.edu.
- ^ a b c Guinto, Joseph (October 21, 2010). "The New Emperor of Highland Park Village". D Magazine. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ a b Auer, Tonie. "Q&A With Highland Park Village Owner Ray Washburne". Bisnow. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Billionaire Michael Dell, investors in Dallas' Knox Street hire Ray Washburne's Highland Park Village team to manage it". Dallas News. December 2, 2020.
- ^ "HP Village Owners Buy Stake in Charlotte Shopping Center - People Newspapers". April 27, 2022.
- ^ "Highland Park Village owners buy a stake in Charlotte's upscale shopping center". Dallas News. April 26, 2022.
- ^ "Highland Park Village co-owner Ray Washburne buys Allen's Watters Creek". Dallas News. April 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Dallas investors plan to restore historic shopping center". Dallas News. July 1, 2024.
- ^ "It's official: Kansas City's Country Club Plaza under new ownership". KSHB 41 Kansas City News. July 1, 2024.
- ^ "New members to the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center's Advisory Council". November 10, 2022.
- ^ "Consuls from 46 Countries Meet for Dallas-Fort Worth". February 14, 2018.
- ^ "SMU alum Ray Washburne has left his mark around Dallas with ventures in real estate, restaurants". Dallas Morning News. August 16, 2009.
- ^ Livingston, Abby. "Trump taps Dallas businessman Ray Washburne for administration post". Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^ Kelly, Caroline (August 3, 2017). "Senate confirms Hutchison for NATO, Washburne for investment office". Dallas News. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
- ^ Saldinger, Adva (August 20, 2018). "Opinion | Poor Countries Have an Unlikely Ally Close to the White House". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "U.S. development agency looks to boost funding to $60 billion". Reuters. September 25, 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
- ^ Evans, Garrett (October 24, 2017). "Head of OPIC says it's here to stay". TheHill.
- ^ "OPIC President and CEO Ray W. Washburne Addresses the Organization of American States on Women's Empowerment | DFC". www.dfc.gov.
- ^ "Washburne Resigning From OPIC After Restructuring of Agency". Bloomberg. February 10, 2019.
- ^ "Ray Washburne steps down as US development finance head". Financial Times.
- ^ Ferran, Lee (August 28, 2019). "Trump's secretive intelligence advisory board takes shape with security pros and GOP donors". ABC News. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. May 20, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2020 – via National Archives.
- ^ "NTCAR Hall of Fame Home Page". ntcarhof.
- ^ BARBARO, MICHAEL; HABERMAN, MAGGIE (February 26, 2015). "Bush Campaign's Demand for Fidelity Ruffles Some Republican Rivals". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Romney Camp Slow To Attract Former Bush Donors". NPR.
- ^ "Romney Camp Slow To Attract Former Bush Donors". NPR. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
- ^ a b Gillman, Todd (January 12, 2015). "Chris Christie nabs Ray Washburne as finance chief for 2016: report". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Ray Washburne is top candidate for energy secretary". CBS News. December 7, 2016.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (June 7, 2016). "With Some Uncertainty, Texas Donors Begin Pitching in for Trump". Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
- ^ "Trump Seeks to Install Christie Ally as Top Republican Party Fundraiser". Bloomberg. March 9, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ^ "President elect Donald Trump considering Ray Washburne for Secretary of Interior". CNBC. November 21, 2016.
- ^ Ballhaus, Richard Rubin, Andrew Restuccia and Rebecca (April 3, 2020). "This Coronavirus Tax Policy Idea Wasn't on the Table. Then Famous Chefs Called the President". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Calling Trump: When connections help steer virus supplies". AP NEWS. April 11, 2020.
- ^ "Dr. Anthony Fauci tells Tucker Carlson he's certain efforts to slow coronavirus spread are having an impact". Fox News. March 19, 2020.
- ^ a b "Making new strides with Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium". www.smu.edu.
- ^ "Washburne Joining North Texas Commercial Real Estate HOF". December 8, 2022.
- ^ "PAST INDUCTEES (2006 - 2023)". ntcarhof.
- ^ "Ray W. Washburne '84". www.smu.edu.