As teenagers growing up in Richland, A&S alumni Jeremy and Linda Jaech were drawn to Seattle and made frequent visits to attend concerts and sports events. Little did they know that they would eventually help shape the city.
Jeremy is founder of Visio Corporation, a fast-growing computer software company located downtown. Linda is an advocate for the literary arts in Seattle. Neither followed a direct path to their current roles.
From Philosopher to Computing Entrepreneur
"When I first arrived at the UW, I was pre-med," recalls Jeremy. "Then I was a philosophy major for a while." Oddly enough, it was a philosophy class that revealed Jeremy's talent for computers. "I took a logic class and did great without breaking a sweat," he explains. "Seeing this, the TA for the class convinced me to take a programming class, which I found easy as well." Jeremy ended up with a bachelor's degree in mathematics ('77) followed by a master's in computer science ('80).
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Jeremy and Linda Jaech each have two UW degrees. "I loved taking classes," says Linda. "I had so many great professors." Photo by Mary Levin. |
After graduation, Jeremy worked as a computer programmer at Battelle, Boeing, and Atex, Inc. "Programming was really interesting to me," says Jaech. "I always had the view that learning a program language was like learning a foreign language. When you get fluent in it, you can think in that language. I seem to be pretty good at that."
Jaech's talent notwithstanding, Atex folded soon after his arrival. But good news quickly followed: one of the company's owners asked Jeremy to join him in a new venture, Aldus Corporation.
Jaech jumped at the chance to build Aldus, with one caveat: he said he'd stay five years, after which he would probably want to start a company of his own. True to his word, he left Aldus in 1989, two years after the company went public. He considered retiring but quickly changed his mind. "Retirement was good for a few months, but then the rainy season came," he explains.
Instead Jeremy founded Visio, which develops business drawing and diagramming software. "It's for business users who don't know how to draw and don't want to learn, but need to draw," explains Jaech. From an initial staff of seven, the company has grown to 470 employees in less than eight years.
Recently Jaech was tapped by UW President Richard McCormick to be part of Young Leaders, a small group of regional leaders who are discussing ways of involving the community more deeply in the life of the University. On a personal level, Jaech is already involved with the UW: he has provided generous support to the Department of Computer Science and Engineering for diversity programs and outreach and, with Linda, has helped fund such projects as "Live from Earth and Mars"--an educational outreach program--and the School of Drama's ambitious production, All Powers Necessary and Convenient.
Creating a Haven for Writers
Like her husband, Linda Jaech worked at Battelle, Boeing, and other major companies--as a technical writer and editor--after receiving her bachelor's degree in communications ('78). But after the Jaechs had children and Aldus went public, Linda saw an opportunity to stop working and pursue one of her passions, literature. She began signing up for literature and creative writing classes at the UW.
"I loved taking classes," Linda recalls. "I had so many great professors. Nelson Bentley was an incredible teacher. Just being in his class--which I took over and over again--was one of the high points of the UW for me. I also remember taking a class from David Wagoner in which he took a poem of mine and went through it line by line in class. Having him put that attention to my writing was probably worth the whole undergraduate experience. And there was Lois Hudson, and Charles Johnson. I felt like I was really getting a good deal."
Linda received her B.A. in English in 1993. Five years later, her connection with the UW's Creative Writing Program remains strong. She is a board member and major supporter of Friends of Nelson Bentley, which currently funds one M.F.A. fellowship for a creative writing student. She also has made a five-year commitment to support The Seattle Review, a nationally recognized publication produced through the Creative Writing Program.
"Linda has ruined my pleasure in picking up trashy novels at the airport bookstore. Now I only read good books."
Looking beyond the University, Linda's passion for writing led her to establish the Richard Hugo House (named for a poet and former UW professor), which provides writers with support, classes, and opportunities to participate in social action. "There are a lot of dedicated and successful writers in this region," Linda explains, "but the community is fragmented. I believe the literary arts need a place where writers can learn from each other and then go out into the community and help."
As president and co-founder of Hugo House, Linda has spent countless hours establishing the center. Frances McCue, another creative writing alumnus, now serves as executive director, giving Linda a chance to work on a novel that she started some time ago. "I write all the time," Linda says, "but it's hard to get the concentrated time to focus on it."
After all these years, has Linda's passion for literature influenced Jeremy? Most decidedly so, he says. "Linda has ruined my pleasure in picking up trashy novels at the airport bookstore," Jeremy admits with some regret. "Now I only read good books. She's raised my level."