A celebration of women’s leadership in building a stronger Toronto Region through the responsible use of land.
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Lisa Chandler was a real estate champion with a deep commitment to advancement of women in a traditionally male dominated industry. She served multiple leadership roles with ULI Toronto, including the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) Committee, co-chair of Sponsorship, a member of the Management Committee and Advisory Board. Lisa’s career included over 20 years at Oxford Properties Group, most recently as Senior Vice President & Head of Development for Canada – the first ever woman to lead the Canadian development team at Oxford.
At ULI Toronto’s 10th annual WLI Championship Team induction Celebration (June 26, 2024), an honour bestowed on Lisa in 2019, her friend and colleague, Veronica Maggisano, spoke to Lisa’s legacy: “She approached every day with a determination and a contagious optimism that I have never witnessed before in my life. She taught so many of us what it meant to live every day just in the moment. She never complained, she loved what she did, and she was really good at it. We all learned from her, that as scary as life can be sometimes, all we can do is put one foot in front of the other and make a difference while you can.”
With great sadness, we share that one of our WLI Champions, Norma Moores, passed away on January 16 due to cancer.
Norma worked at IBI Group in their Hamilton office as a Civil Engineer specializing in Active Transportation. Those who were fortunate enough to work with her had the opportunity to experience her professionalism, expertise, and enthusiasm for active transportation firsthand. Norma was a trailblazer and promoted the importance of active transportation and complete streets in city building at both the municipal and regional level. She was a cheerleader for those around her, dedicated to ongoing learning and professional development, and committed to excellence. Norma was a strong mentor and gentle leader particularly for women in the engineering profession helping them to navigate challenges and reach their professional goals. Her expertise was established and respected across Canada, earning her many accolades including the prestigious Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (APBP) Lifetime Achievement Award (2017).
A resident of Hamilton, Norma took great pride in leading the design of the Cannon Street Bikeway—Hamilton’s first protected bike lanes. Through her work, she also left her mark on many cities across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area—and beyond.
Outside of her professional life, she was dedicated to her family including her two adult children, Kelly and Shannon and husband Marcus. Her hobbies and interests reflected her love of the outdoors including biking, hiking, paddling, caving and birding. She was a proud member of two dragon boat teams where she built strong relationships with other women battling cancer.
Norma’s obituary and tribute wall are here if you wish to leave a message of remembrance.
Our deepest condolences go out to Norma’s family, colleagues and friends.
In her career Michelle helped create Open Streets TO and became the starting point and founder of The Laneway Project (www.thelanewayproject.ca), channelling her passion for unlocking the potential of under-used public spaces – namely 2400 laneways in Toronto – to provide a well planned vibrant laneway network. This led to her being such a committed, energetic and passionate proponent of this new arena for improving the look and feel of her city.
Nancy Singer devoted her life to her city and especially to the cause of affordable housing. In a career that included a remarkable tenure at City Hall to helming the Kehilla Residential Programme, her passion and dedication to social justice was magnetic – drawing together a broad spectrum of people from all stations to a humanitarian focus. Nancy asked us to pause, reflect and act – and her legacy of advocacy, project delivery and policy advancement stand as testament to her effectiveness. In the words of Mayor John Tory, Nancy “brought everyone together over one mutual goal: creating more inclusive housing for all. Toronto is a better, more socially just city because of Nancy’s passion and commitments”. Nancy was honoured by her industry peers in 2014 and was named a WLI Champion in the inaugural year of this program. Asked to describe herself in one word, she offered ‘out-of-the-box’.
She was that. And we are all better for it.
Partner, Urban Strategies Inc.
Andrea Gabor was an urban planner and one of the earliest Partners at Urban Strategies Inc., where she led many award-winning projects. Spanning a career of over thirty years, Andrea’s projects have shaped the fabric of Toronto and cities around the world. Recognized for her great contributions to the field of urban planning, in 2007 she was elected to the College of Fellows of the Canadian Institute of Planners. Those who worked with her will remember Andrea as a true champion – a driven, dedicated planner who brought passion, humour and joy to professional life. She was a role model for all who had the privilege of working with her, including many on the ULI Toronto Championship team. Andrea is missed, but she will continue to serve as an example of professionalism, integrity, and excellence in the field of urban planning.
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