Sonoma County has always been home for Chris, born and raised in Petaluma and now living in Sebastopol with his wife and business partner Lisa Dawson, where they raised their family and are actively engaged in the vibrant West Sonoma County community. They cherish their connection to a rich past with deep roots in Sonoma County and are passionate about creating and sharing a bright future for their family, the community and their clients. And it is that experience and passion that informs their business practices. They provide their clients a wide range of real estate expertise serving buyers and sellers across Sonoma County where they can speak to the unique character of neighborhoods throughout the County, with a special knowledge and expertise of Sebastopol and the West Sonoma County market.
For as long as Chris can remember, he has been interested in building things, especially home construction projects large and small. He and Lisa, along with their children were owner-builders of two homes; from design and land development, through all phases of construction; pouring the foundation, pounding nails, running wires, through to the final finish work; a rewarding and treasured family experience. Additionally, Chris has volunteered on construction projects through Rotary and church groups, both locally and nationally with disaster relief efforts, including several projects in New Orleans after Katrina, and New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy.
Chris came to Real Estate from a diverse and rewarding career in the newspaper industry. Starting as a photojournalist, a fantastic opportunity to experience and document almost 10 years of daily life in Sonoma County, and from there he held several executive leadership positions including Director of Operations & Distribution for the New York Times at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
As a Real Estate professional, Chris draws on a wealth of experience that over the years has made him appreciate the value of listening, of hard work, of patience, of creative problem-solving, of anticipating and avoiding surprises, and above all, the value of maintaining a clear and shared focus on his client’s goals.
