Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/721677
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | 37 P aul Ravetta might be the first Chairman of the WAC Board of Governors to rappel off the side of a 40-story building. He might also be the first Chairman to have spent a summer as a bike messenger in San Francisco or to have a connection to Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe. Understandably, stats like that aren't kept in the official Club archives. Whatever we don't know for sure, we do know this. On August 1, Paul became the WAC's 74th Chairman, and his passion for the Club follows in a great tradition soon entering its 87th year. During his yearlong term, Paul intends to focus on member outreach and helping the Club stay current to Seattle's rapidly changing demographics. "This city has witnessed amazing changes over the past several years," Paul says, sitting in his office in the Park Place Building at Sixth and University, kitty-corner from the WAC. "As a result, the Club has seen a shift toward younger members who are not from Seattle, and perhaps not even Washington," he continues. "It's important to make sure these new members feel welcome, engaged, and a part of the WAC family. It's equally important to respect nine decades of heritage and history." It'll be easy to keep an eye on things. From his seventh-floor office, Paul has a clear view of the Club's main façade. "The WAC team is looking forward to continuing to work with Paul," WAC President & CEO Chuck Nelson says. "He has a thoughtful energy, and his well-traveled experience provides a great perspective to life at the WAC." Chasing tadpoles Growing up in northeastern Ohio, Paul was the youngest of four children and the only boy. His father was a salesman in the tire industry and his mom was a radiology technician. Paul goes back to Ohio about once a year. The elder Ravettas still live in Akron, as do two of Paul's sisters. His other sister teaches in Portland, Oregon. "We lived in a fairly non-densely populated suburb," he says. "We had big yards and big swaths of empty land around us. As kids we could just disappear for the entire day, chasing tadpoles and riding bikes. The only expectation was we had to be back in time for dinner." Itching for more, Paul left Akron for the University of Cincinnati. The summer after graduation in 1991, he moved to San Francisco and worked as a bike messenger. It's what he calls his "Quicksilver summer," referring to the popular 1986 Kevin Bacon movie. He returned to Cincinnati for grad school and, job offer in hand, moved back to San Francisco in 1993. During his first week on the job, Paul's bus jolted forward and a stranger fell on him. She would later become his wife. "We started dating on and off for quite a while and ultimately got married in 1998," Paul says, smiling. "She literally fell in my lap." At his desk, Paul keeps a picture of Stacey on their wedding day. She's standing in San Francisco's Washington Square Park, across from their ceremony at Saints Peter and Paul Church. It's the same twin-spired sanctuary where Monroe and DiMaggio snapped wedding photos in 1954. Paul and Stacey's reception took place at the nearby San Francisco Italian Athletic Club. They spent three more years in San Francisco. In 2001, Stacey accepted a job at Perkins Coie law firm in Seattle. "It was a good time for us to transition," Paul says. In early 2003, they joined the WAC. "For me, the networking side of the Club has been fantastic," Paul says. "For Stacey, it's a great way to get in a good workout in a phenomenal environment. For both of us it was a way to feel connected and grounded in a new community." Work and play During their 15 years in Seattle, Paul has worked at three companies. He's currently Vice President, Director Marketing & Client Relations for Washington Capital Management. The company invests union pension fund assets in commercial real estate projects that, in turn, create jobs for union workers. "The pension funds get the benefit of the investment while the unions get the incidental benefit of the work," Paul says. As kids we could just disappear for the entire day, chasing tadpoles and riding bikes. The only expectation was we had to be back in time for dinner. " "