John Langston 2017 JWN Award at Nordstrom

Congratulations John Langston on Winning the 2017 JWN Award at Nordstom, What an honor and so well deserved. Truly the highest honor the company awards each year..... Congrats my Friend

Each year, we recognize one leader, who is not an officer, with our company’s highest honor, the John W. Nordstrom Award. This award goes to a person who we feel best exemplifies the characteristics of our founder, John W. Nordstrom. These qualities include hard work, persistence, servant leadership, loyalty, honesty, ethics, results, competitive spirit and most importantly, an unwavering commitment to putting the customer first.

It is with great pleasure we announce this year’s JWN winner, John Langston the Full Price National Designer Shoe Buyer. We interrupted today’s Shoe Division All Team Meeting to present John with this award. John’s longtime partner, Mark Bradley, was there to see John win and share in the celebration.

John’s career began when he applied for a ‘stock boy’ position at our Anchorage store in Alaska in 1985. It didn’t take long before he was promoted to become a cashier in Women’s Shoes. John then moved into Kids’ Shoes where he worked from 1989-1993 while attending college in Portland, Oregon. In his first performance review he was praised for his ‘stylish and professional dress’ and ‘always having a smile for everyone.’

In 1995, John became the Women’s Shoe department manager in our Washington Square store in Tigard, Oregon – and he was quickly promoted to the Salon Shoe buyer/manager of our downtown Portland store in 1996. In 1999, he moved to California as the Salon Shoe Buyer for East Bay before taking on an expanded role as the Salon Shoe buyer for the Los Angeles Region in 2002. John continued to drive great results and was once again asked to grow his responsibilities as the Los Angeles/Orange County Women’s Shoe buyer in 2004. 

In 2006, John made the move to Seattle to become the National Designer Shoe Buyer. Since then, he has grown the Women’s Designer business from $21 million to an impressive $184 million. He’s opened over 450 points of distribution and launched new designers like Charlotte Olympia. He is also known for his incredible support and development of his team and has successfully promoted many assistants over the years. 

John has been recognized three times as an All Star and received recognition from the CEO of Manolo Blahnik, George Malkemus, who complimented John on being an incredible buyer who consistently selects beautiful assortments. He has been an advocate for the Designer business, has phenomenal relationships with our vendor partners and has an outstanding reputation in the industry. Pete stated while presenting John with the JWN award, “John has become an icon in the designer industry, and a complete icon and a legend among leaders at Nordstrom”.

This is by far the biggest award we hand out each year and it is our sincere pleasure to honor John Langston. John truly is as a person who exemplifies the qualities this award represents. Congratulations John! We are grateful for your many contributions and consider you an incredible asset to our company.

 

Blake, Pete, Erik and Jamie 

 

John W. Nordstrom Award Recipients: 

2017 John Langston

2016 Paige Boggs

2015 Carl Jenkins

2014 Todd Buntin

2013 Fanya Chandler

2012 Brian Roberts

2011 Michele Love

2010 Steve Wilkos

2009 Doug McCoy

2008 Kim Dawson

2007 Geri Olson

2006 John Pedrini

2005 Pat McGowan

2004 Annette Tauber 

2003 Leslie Martin

2002 Brent Harris

2001 Pat Smith

2000 Jackie Schell

1999 Stephanie Friel

1998 Trent Kamman

1997 Kathy Moser

1996 Tim Gary

1995 Joel Stinson

1994 Vicki McWilliams

1993 Joleen Davis

1992 Steve Schreiber

1991 Debbie Geddes

1990 Patrick Kennedy

1989 Jammie Baugh

1988 Brian Tatsumura

1987 Jill (Dooley) Early

1986 Sue Tabor

1985 John Whitacre 

1984 Robert Sims

1983 Blanqui Roeber

1982 Darrel Hume

1981 Thomas P. Bosch

1980 Akiko Akagi 

1979 Anne Gilbert 

1978 Jack McDonald 

1977 Wayne L. Badovinus

1976 Robert Goodson 

1975 LaVerne Palmer 

1974 Robert Nunn

1973 Lillian Clark 

1972 Robert L. Weil

1971 William Noble

1970 Helen Schreiber 

1969 Juanice Clay (Winnie)

1968 Gale Wergeland

1967 – Fall, Ernest Carino

1967 – Spring, Norman Sadis

1966 – Fall, Adolph Frank 

1966 – Spring, Gussie Geller 

1965 – Fall, Wesley Harris 

1965 – Spring, Weldon C. Johnson

1964 – Fall, Harold W. Wolslegel

1964 – Spring, Allan W. Goesling 

1963 – Fall, Houston Hartley

1963 – Spring, Tom Gardiner 

1962 – Fall, Rauley Fox 

1962 – Spring, C.H. Griffith 

1961 – Fall, Fran Buchanan