Our family leadership provides a voice for over 500 family members, bringing continuity, direction, and unity to a seventh generation business.

Laird Norton Team

Our talented team works with our investment partners to bring fresh ideas, solve problems and add value. View Team

Joseph S. Williams began serving as Laird Norton Company’s Board Chairman in 2023. A transplant from SE Iowa, Williams attended Truman State, Iowa Wesleyan University, and Saint Martin’s University where he chaired the board of trustees for eight years. He has enjoyed a diverse history of entrepreneurial endeavors that include cattle, radio, software, and risk management.

Williams is the past Chairman of the combined boards of Laird Norton Wealth Management and the Laird Norton Tyee Trust Company. He was the owner of Williams Broadcasting, a director of Winona Capital, Caravan Capital, and Total Living Choices.com. He was the President of Pacific Harbors Council Boy Scouts of America for 6 years and is a current member of the Medina Foundation.

Jill Gardner is a fifth-generation Laird Norton family member who began serving as the Family President in 2021. Jill is chair of the Family Council Committee and oversees communications for the 500-member family. She manages the development and execution of family programs and annual shareholder events. In addition, Jill has been the board president of the Medina Foundation, a member of the ad hoc Long Range Planning Committee, and the editor of the Laird Norton Family journal, Woodstock.

Jill graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with an English/Publishing and Printing Arts major. She and her husband, Doug, live in University Place, Washington. Jill’s favorite hobby is visiting her four grown children and their spouses, who all currently live in California.