W. Wright Watling

W. Wright Watling is a veteran of the Central and Southern California Coast real estate world, boasting thirty-five years of experience in commercial brokerage, development, and investing in industrial, office, and retail projects. A graduate of Claremont McKenna College (BA 1972) and Dartmouth College’s MBA program (1974), Mr. Watling began his career in 1974, at the major accountancy firm Price Waterhouse. The following year, he took his first job in the nonprofit sector, serving as controller and bus manager at the American Electronics Association. From 1978-1994, he was a commercial real estate associate at Beaver-Free Corp (later renamed Pacifica). In 1994, he founded Watling Real Estate, which he heads to this day.

Mr. Watling believes very strongly in donating time and money to worthy causes, and has involved himself in multiple Santa Barbara community and philanthropic activities over the past four decades. These include the University Club of Santa Barbara (1978-94, Director 1985-87), the Valley Club of Montecito (1979-present, Director 2004-07), and as a trustee of the Hazel Heath Horton Philanthropic Trust (1982-present). He has been a donor to SEE International for almost twenty years, calling it “a terrific organization that does very important work.” In his free time, Mr. Watling enjoys golfing, hiking, or traveling whenever the opportunity arises.