The Distinguished Business Law Graduate Award is awarded annually to a graduate of the Law School who has demonstrated exemplary leadership, has made a positive mark on the legal or business profession and whose accomplishments have brought honor and distinction to the Law School.
Mr. Schnitzer will be recognized at our 16th Annual Business Law Spring Luncheon on April 28, 2011.
About Jordan D. Schnitzer
Jordan Schnitzer is a native Oregonian. He attended local grade school and high school before graduating with a BA from the University of Oregon in 1973 and with a JD from Lewis & Clark Law School in 1976.
Shortly thereafter, he began working full time at his family’s real estate company, Harsch Investment Properties. He is now president of the company and supervises the company’s development and management of commercial real estate properties in five Western states, Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, and Arizona with a staff in excess of 200 professionals. During the last 20 years that Jordan has been president of the company, he has helped the company grow to be one of the largest privately held Real Estate companies in the Western United States. The company currently owns and operates over 20,000,000 square ft. of industrial, office and retail properties.
Jordan’s first involvement in civic and community activities began with board memberships at the Japanese Garden Society of Oregon in 1977, The University of Oregon Art Museum in 1978, and the Portland Art Museum in 1981. Since that time he has served on over 30 nonprofit boards and organizations.
Following his family’s commitment to support art and culture, Jordan has created one of the nations, largest contemporary print and multiple collections, which is shared with the public. He and his family foundation have funded and organized over 80 exhibitions of work from his collection which has traveled to over 47 museums.
Jordan has always had a commitment to helping make the City of Portland and the metropolitan area a better place to live and work. In 1991 Jordan was appointed to head the first of three Downtown Light Rail Commissions, and he has been on or chaired several downtown advisory groups.
Jordan has received a number of honors and awards including: Portland State University President’s Award for Outstanding Philanthropy in 2002, State of Oregon Governor Arts Award in 2003, the University of Oregon Presidential Medal in 2006, Honorary Knight of the Royal Rosarians in 2008, and the Portland Parks Foundation Legacy Circle Honoree in 2008.
Jordan lives in Portland with his family.
