Magic Moment: My career shifted in a “magic moment” of realization that occurred while working in community and learning about the lived experiences of the youth and their families. One young adult in particular led me to not just understand, but to feel deeply their frustration, where she said many like her dared not to even dream of a future career, let alone a successful one. Two simple truths emerged from that: 1) dreams are free and 2) while talent is universal, opportunity is not. Since then, starting at the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre with Children’s Aid and then George Brown College, members of my team and I forged a collaborative program to connect youth to careers in construction based on Speak Outs by industry professionals, a Day of Discovery on a construction jobsite and at GBC; leading to training, education, employment and career development. We called the program Building Opportunities for Life Today (BOLT) which ultimately became a charitable foundation that still exists today. I continue work in community and with multiple foundations to attract talent to our industry and bring opportunities to as many as I can.

Key Influence:
Carol Dutcher-Bream: Carol Dutcher-Bream was one of the few female senior executive leaders in the industry when I started within her Collier & Park advertising agency in the mid’80’s. We later worked together at Bramalea leading the Marketing of the low and high-rise residential divisions, where she taught me to always pay it forward and to ensure everyone had not just a seat, but a voice, at the table. Her deep resilience, courage and compassionate intelligence still inspire.

Andrea DelZotto: Andrea DelZotto is her father’s daughter and is to her core, a fearless innovator that is motivated by her integrity of purpose – creating community. We worked together to drive new initiatives like environmental sustainability and create entire departments – CSR, People & Culture. She coined the “Built for Life” tag line that became the hallmark of her family’s company – Tridel – which is also a perfect metaphor for who she is, what she does and what she taught me. Like her father Angelo, she puts the lives of people and community first, always. In her words, “it’s about people, planet and then profit, in that order, if you do that, the rest follows”.

Next Big Challenge As An Industry: We need innovations in collaboration to align all the “abilities” – affordability, connectivity, sustainability, accessibility, availability – in a way that transcends the changes in government. We need integrated strategic planning that sets long term investment and policy not just in the industry sense but beyond, in a way that considers what exactly a “city” is in the modern context and how it both needs and serves all of it’s people. A specific path to progress, starts with a vision that persists the political landscape one felt (like in Copenhagen, NYC) by every citizen-steward of our city with imagination, resolve and pride.

On Championing Others… I love our industry and the kind of impact it wields on the individual as well as the collective, and I champion it in the same way. I continue to coach and directly mentor a number of youth one-on-one while also co-chairing the ULI Mentoring Program. I am also working with a range of groups like The Ripple Effect, Honour the Work as well as different developers to attract great talent to the industry from under-resourced communities which also allows us to make a greater social impact beyond the build.

Secret Talent: I am a Las Vegas poker champion and stand-up comedian. Joking. I don’t have secrets, let alone secret talents. I do have a passion for diving, where I just certified as a specialist in Reef Renewal out-planting and husbandry.

One word that captures you: Passionate. I have always been very purpose driven, where I carry a strong and intense enthusiasm or excitement with deep commitment to all my pursuits. It has made me resilient and forever curious about how, what and where I can contribute to my family and community.