Keynote Speaker

Vanessa Sturgeon

Vanessa Sturgeon became president and CEO of TMT Development in 2003. Founded by her grandfather, Thomas P. Moyer, Vanessa started learning the business while still in college. Today, she leads a team that manages more than 6.5 million square feet of mixed-use high-rise assets, retail shopping centers and industrial parks in Oregon and Washington.

Her grandfather’s entrepreneurial spirit and fierce commitment to Portland is evident in the way Vanessa leads TMT and serves her community. With countless business accolades and extensive board service to her credit, gratitude for the life she leads fuels her “love what you have” philosophy and her passion to help those who struggle with inequity.

As a mom to three boys, Vanessa loves the feeling of family at TMT. “We all like each other. It’s authentic. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We laugh a lot … we have fun. I can dish it, but I can take it, too.”

The company she leads places a high value on service. Service to tenants, business partners, coworkers and community. Empowering people to lead and serve from wherever they are is something she believes in; something she learned from mentors who let her make mistakes and build her reputation.

“My grandfather placed a high value on service, on how you treat people … on being embedded in and connected to the community in lots of different ways. That’s how you impact change.”


Vanessa attended Santa Clara University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management and Willamette University College of Law.