August Bress

August Bress has been involved in family business for his entire life. He grew up in Laramie, Wyoming where his father, uncle, and grandfather owned and operated a small printing company. On his mother’s side, he is a fifth-generation member of the Cowles-Hammett family, who operate a portfolio of legacy companies (media, newsprint manufacturing, forestry, real estate, and private equity joint ventures) based in Spokane, Washington and the Pacific Northwest. This background sparked August’s interest in family governance, and he has served in multiple leadership positions on the Cowles-Hammett family council and related committees, in addition to participating in the board observer program for the operating companies. He also serves on the Cowles Family Office Advisory Board, and is currently pursuing his MBA and CFP certification with the goal of working in the family office and assisting the extended family in trust administration, investment manager coordination, fiduciary income tax and financial/estate planning.

August holds a B.A. in Government from Claremont McKenna College and studied Archaeology at the University of Utah, where he had the opportunity to do research and fieldwork across the southwest. He and his wife, Jessica, founded a graphic design business, JJin Creative, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they live with their black lab, Kala. In his free time, August enjoys skiing, gardening, and traveling.