Devin Mecham, 39, is the vice president and commercial sales manager at Spokane-based NAI Black, a role he was promoted to in 2021.

When not overseeing the commercial real estate brokerage's operations, training and recruiting efforts, compliance, and business strategy, Mecham enjoys volunteering at his church and competing in triathlons. Mecham, a graduate of University High School in Spokane Valley, is the father of five children.

Prior to joining the company in 2020, Mecham worked in a variety of roles in Spokane, including as a property manager at Douglass Properties, as a personal banker at Sterling Savings Bank, as a children’s pastor at Real Life Ministries Spokane, and as a commercial real estate broker at 4 Degrees Real Estate.

What drives your commitment to your industry? The sky is the limit within our industry. Commercial real estate has a direct impact on our economy as far as investment, start-up businesses being able to get established, and new manufacturing ventures bringing jobs to our market.

We have an opportunity to work with business owners, whether they're large or small, to help them take a next step maybe toward a dream that they've had, or an expansion, or establishing in our market. That brings jobs and income into our market and impacts the overall health of our economy.

I love Spokane. I want to see it thrive and grow. This has always been a great place to grow up and call home, and I want to do my part to ensure it stays that way, whatever small part that may be.

What makes you good at your job? This job is all about people. I'm grateful for the ability to see things at a 50,000-foot view, then to be able to zoom in, connect that vision with peoples' stories, and get all of us moving forward in the same direction.

I care deeply about taking action to not only better the people on my team, but our industry as well. I love to coach and teach, whether it's a room of 1,000 people or one-on-one. I love the process of taking complex concepts and information and disseminating them into digestible pieces for people to understand.

I'm a relational guy ... and care about my brokers holistically — not just what they're producing, but how are they and their families doing. How are they doing health- and stress-wise, and what are they doing for fun? Making sure that they’re holistically successful, and not just in the real estate side of things, is essential.

Have you experienced any early failures, and how were those failures learning experiences? One thing I’ve personally failed at was that I was way overcommitted to everything. I was on multiple boards, had just stepped into a leadership role at NAI Black, and was not taking care of myself personally. I was completely burnt out, and it’s something that I wouldn’t wish on anybody to go through, because it was pretty catastrophic overall.

I learned that you have to take care of yourself first, because the best thing you can bring to any situation, whether it’s your family, your team, your company, or your business, is a healthy version of yourself.

You have to rest well. You have to know how you rest well, and you have to have people around you that'll hold you up when (times get tough). If you don't have people around you that will call you out on hard things ... then it's hard to do it by yourself.

How have you contributed to the betterment of the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene community outside of your primary job? I have served in leadership roles with the Washington State Certified Commercial Investment Manager Chapter, including as chapter president and education chair. Through that work, I helped expand access to advanced commercial real estate education, supported professional development programs, and encouraged brokers and emerging professionals to pursue higher levels of training and ethical leadership. 

I have also invested significant time mentoring brokers, young professionals, and individuals entering the commercial real estate industry. My goal has been to help them build sustainable careers, make better decisions, and understand that their work has a direct impact on local businesses, neighborhoods, and economic growth.

More broadly, I have worked to promote collaboration among brokers, property owners, investors, developers, and community stakeholders. Commercial real estate plays a major role in job creation, business expansion, housing, and neighborhood revitalization. I have tried to use my experience and relationships to connect people, remove barriers, and help move projects forward that strengthen the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene community.

I believe community betterment is not limited to formal volunteerism. It also means developing people, sharing knowledge, creating opportunities, and helping build institutions and businesses that will continue contributing to the region for years to come.

Where do you see your professional and community influence in the next decade? Professionally, my ambition is to build and lead organizations that create meaningful opportunities for brokers, investors, business owners, and emerging leaders. I want to help develop the next generation of commercial real estate professionals, raise the standard of leadership in our industry, and play a direct role in projects that influence how our region grows. That includes investment, development, housing, infrastructure, business expansion, and community revitalization.

I also want to use the relationships, experience, and platform I have built to connect people who might not otherwise find each other. I want to bring together capital, ideas, property, and leadership to help move important projects forward. My goal is not simply to participate in the growth of this region, but to be a catalyst for it.

On a personal level, I want my children to see that success is not measured only by income or recognition. It is measured by what you build, who you help, and what remains after you are gone. I want to create businesses, investments, and community partnerships that produce long-term value and open doors for others.

Ten years from now, I hope my impact is visible in the leaders I have mentored, the companies I have helped grow, the projects I have helped bring to life, and the communities that are stronger because I chose to invest my time, resources, and influence here.