I’ve had the privelage of growing up in this company, like so many at Nordstrom. For the last 19 years, I’ve experienced and learned so many fundamentals of leadership- those they cannot teach in college. My favorite memory of Blake was back in 2009 when I was a DM at Northpark. He came with an entourage and of course you want the time with him so you step out onto the hard aisle and invite him into your dept. I was so NERVOUS but he could tell I was eager so he leans down and whispers, “let’s get away from all of these people”. He leads me away so we can walk my floor together, alone just me and Blake. That man, in that moment showed me it wasn’t about him, it was about me, and giving me a platform and level of comfort and courage to shine. I’ll always be so grateful for that because he showed me what true servant leadership was all about. Thank you, Blake.

Jen Caparas