132 The first decade of the new millennium began with the Company teetering on the edge and ended with its position as an industry leader renewed and revitalized. The Board made a conscious effort to return to the values that had characterized the Company’s history and invested in technology to continue its tradition of innovation. Part of that effort involved finding a leader who could move Western States forward while respecting the practices and attitudes at the Company’s heart. Given the close-knit environment, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone connected to Eugene Roberts’ family would prove to be the right choice. During the mid-1990s, Director Nancy Lewit urged her brother-in-law, David Douglas Buckner, to join the Board. Buckner, with 30-plus years of experience, had managed several aerospace and software-development companies, and Lewit admired his business acumen. In 1999, then- President Wake met with Buckner, who finally agreed to join the Board. Fast-forward to 2010, and the Board realized Buckner could provide the overall leadership they desired. Buckner embraced his role as president until his December, 2015 retirement. CHAPTER 11 above: David Douglas Buckner