FAST FIVE: Dustin Ainsworth: Awesome to the COEUR
Meet Dustin Ainsworth, a resident of Kootenai County for over three decades now. Dustin has worked at Kootenai Title for the last 18 years as a business development representative. Throughout his time at Kootenai Title, he has had the opportunity to serve on numerous boards and nonprofits within the community. When not at work, you can find Dustin floating down a river fly fishing in Idaho or Montana. He has floated nearly 3,000 river miles over the last 10 years and even was a part-time fly fishing guide. Dustin has loved the game of golf since he was first introduced to it by his mother at 11 years old. He spent some time as an assistant golf professional for a few clubs in Idaho and Arizona and was a back-to-back club champion at the Coeur d'Alene Public Golf Course in 1998 and 1999. His nickname is the "Grinder" out on the golf course, trying to win his friends' superdollars. In the winter months, Dustin enjoys getting out and snowmobiling as much as possible. It provides him an opportunity to see the back country most folks never experience at the busy ski resorts.
1) In what ways are you involved in the community, and why do you do what you do?
I have been very fortunate to work for such an amazing company that supports my community mindset. Volunteering takes up a lot of time, so I have to wear many hats, but always keeping in mind that I still represent Kootenai Title on a daily basis. I am currently on the 54 Foundation Board as president. We oversee and manage all the funds raised from the annual COEUR54 event. I am currently seeking a board set at the Coeur d'Alene Public Golf Club to expand my nonprofit board resume. I am working with the Coeur Group to plan its 20th anniversary celebration sometime this summer. I have been a Coeur d'Alene Sunrise Rotarian for 16 years. I was fortunate enough to be club president in 2020-2021 and guided our club through the pandemic. Rotary has taught me so much about our community, but also how a service organization can operate worldwide, which led to me to create the New to North Idaho Facebook page after a presentation one morning from a senior at Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy who spoke about how she created a New to Charter resource to support incoming freshmen as they settle into their surroundings. I have found that serving with other like-minded folks is the best way for continued personal growth. Many of the folks I looked up to were stewards of our community and I subconsciously started to emulate those behaviors because of my admiration for them.
2) What do you love about your job?
The real estate world is very relationship-based and my job is just that. It’s building relationships with producers of title and maintaining those relationships through a lot of networking and customer support. What I love about it the most is the relationships I have built over the years. Some of my customers have become some of my closest friends. Many of my hobbies are shared with folks I have met through my work at Kootenai Title. I feel like the local real estate world is the pulse of this community and being at the forefront of it has provided me with a lot of opportunities to meet and spend time with many influential and giving individuals.
3) What are you most looking forward to with the COEUR54 this year?
The COEUR54 is entering its fifth year. It blows my mind how this idea I had during the pandemic has turned into something really special and five years later we are still going strong. With this success, we knew we needed to form our own nonprofit, so the 54Foundation was created. In just the first four years, we have raised over $100,000 in total and supported nearly 25 local organizations in our community. We are looking to build on our success and bring on some additional major sponsors who want to be a part of what we are doing. It’s exciting to know there is an organization out there that is going to benefit greatly from our really long day of golf this June. I would like to point out that all the members of the COEUR54 are from the real estate world and we all share one thing in common: Our love of the game of golf. Email c54foundation@gmail.com for additional information or sponsorship opportunities.
4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
Deep down I am a softy. I feel blessed each day to interact with people, hear their stories and find that common ground that bonds us all. I am a jokester at heart and usually subject myself to looking like a fool just to get a smile or laugh. Most folks today are surprised that I have taken up the sport of running. I started running 18 months ago when I was experiencing some arthritis in my back. Now I am totally addicted and try to make time to run daily. My first full year of running I completed four different 10Ks and did four half-marathons within four weeks, then completed a fifth half-marathon all within six weeks of each other. I logged over 1,000 running miles in 2023. That surprised even me!
5) Why should people take the time to volunteer or otherwise participate in events and activities that are for the greater good of our community?
There is no better satisfaction than when a group of people comes together to accomplish something special for the greater good of the community. The Coeur Group is a wonderful example of that — thecoeurgroup.com — young men coming together to give their time and talents to benefit those in need. I was able to be a part of that organization for many years and countless hours of giving back. There are many people who have amazing talents and knowledge that are not being shared to benefit our community. The time aspect in volunteering is the biggest obstacle for many. For personal development, I always encourage folks to dip their toes in the water and interview organizations that could benefit from their participation. Many organizations today have good intentions, but struggle with open-minded board members.
