Cora Whitney

Attorney

Malek + Malek Attorneys

Age: 37

Current city of residence: Kennewick

Briefly describe your company:

Malek + Malek exists to change the world for the better. As a law firm, we work actively with business clients who are making a difference in their communities. We work in the business, commercial real estate and healthcare realms, helping our clients solve complex problems with real world solutions. We strive to be problem solvers and bring clarity to complicated transactions and business dealings.

How long have you worked there?

7 years

Briefly describe your job and what you do. Tell us how you got into it.

I’m a business and commercial real estate attorney. I spent my middle school summers watching my dad in trial as our county prosecutor. I decided then I wanted to be a criminal prosecutor too. When I eventually got to law school, I figured out that my career path wasn’t going to be in the courtroom or specializing in criminal law. I had an opportunity to experience the transactional business side of the law during a summer internship and have been working in the business world ever since.

Tell us about your work history.

Over the summers while I was in college at Washington State University, I worked for a small tour boat company, selling tickets in the rain at Deception Pass on Whidbey Island. I worked part time at various jobs while in school, everything from serving stir fry in the dining hall noodle bar to giving presentations about being a Coug to prospective students. In law school, I had the chance to work for several different lawyers in a cross-section of practice areas. This helped me narrow my focus to the area of practice I’m in today. I’ve spent my legal career working for all sorts of businesses, some big, some small, and enjoy helping them achieve their financial and business goals.

Tell us about your first job.

My first job out of high school was handpicking organic produce and running a small farm stand in Skagit Valley. I spent long hours in the sun and dirt, working with the vegetables. The hardest thing to pick is baby squash – it is very popular but difficult and frustrating to harvest. I would help sell the produce at the stand and at farmers markets. The work was labor- intensive and humbling. Because of this work, I developed and maintain a strong and deep respect for field workers.

What advice would you give to your younger self about achieving success?

Keep your head up and keep working hard, but don’t stress out about the little things. Success isn’t something that you check off a list, it’s something that is constantly changing. The real success comes from enjoying the journey and celebrating the small wins.

What was your dream job as a child?

Prima ballerina

Who are your role models – and why? Tell us what you learned from them. What do you consider your leadership style to be?

My kids are my role models. They are so down to earth and are able to live in the moment. My son wakes up happy, ready to take on the day. My daughter is creative and funny while being cautious at the same time. My son is not cautious at all. I learn to focus on the good, focus on the light, and focus on the happy. My leadership style is to guide, not micro-manage. Give people the tools for success and the support they need, which looks different for everyone.

What else should we know about you?

I came to the Tri-Cities to be closer to family and be part of a community. Not only did I get closer to my family, but I gained the ability to raise my kids in a growing, thriving, wonderful area that they can flourish in. My days start early with a toddler and first-grader and are busy with helping organizations accomplish their missions and visions without the distraction of legal problems. I end my days with family time – normally with my husband and my inlaws or my parents, or all of the above!

How do you achieve work-life balance?

I take it one day at a time. If that’s too much, I take it a half day or even an hour at a time. Then I focus on the task at hand – whether that task is work-related or mom-related or family-related and attempt to not multitask. I’m not sure anyone is really proficient at multitasking – something always drops when you are trying to do two things at once. As such, balance to me looks like digging into whatever role I am serving at the time. If I’m in mom-mode, then focus on the busy (and demanding) 2-year-old who wants to play with the water table inside. If I’m in lawyer-mode, then focus on the current issues of the organization and help the leadership solve the problem(s) they are facing.

Do you have family? Pets? Tell us about them.

Yes! We have a 8-year-old Goldendoodle named Kona. She’s named after the town in Hawaii where my husband and I got married. She was born shortly after our wedding and has been a central part of our family ever since. She loves to play with her rope, bark at Amazon delivery drivers, and sleep on my pillow.

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities? If you didn’t grow up here, what brought you here?

I moved to Kennewick in 2022 to be closer to family. My husband and I decided we wanted to raise our daughter (and now son) with the support of his parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Shortly after we moved here, my sister relocated to Zillah and my parents moved here too! My kids are so spoiled to be around all four of their grandparents and all four of their aunts and uncles on a regular basis, but I wouldn’t change a thing. 

What’s your dream vacation?

I’d like to travel overseas. I haven’t done that yet and it’s on my list.

Planner or procrastinator?

Planner

First car?

Dark blue VW Bug

Introvert or extrovert?

Introvert

Favorite thing to do in Tri-Cities?

Hang with family

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

I can’t finish a TV series. I always start with good intentions but get distracted and move on.

Favorite Tri-City restaurant?

Drumheller’s Food & Drink

(Now called Riva Riverside Italian Dining)

Favorite day of the week?

Friday

Text, email, phone call?

Phone calls

Would you rather travel back in time or to the future?

Back in time to see people in my life who have since passed.