The WLI BC Leadership Recognition Program is proudly sponsored by:

We are pleased to share more about Sheryl:

Could you share a bit about your work? What aspects do you find rewarding and challenging?

 I am honoured and privileged to work in community housing development. This means that I develop just like my private sector counterparts, but my focus is affordable rental housing, or specialized housing like supportive housing (seniors, mental health & addictions, women & children fleeing violence).

The most rewarding part about working in this sector is the positive impact I get to make in communities and the collaborative method in which I have learned to do so.  I have the opportunity to collaborate with municipalities, First Nation communities, regional authorities, and other provincial and federal agencies to bring a diversity of housing solutions to fruition.  It’s the work that responds to meet community needs and social outcomes.  It’s not that we are dismissive of cost implications – on the contrary – the amount of scrutiny that the government requires on spending as well as the expectations around quality requires us to be very cognizant of economic performance and value.  At the same time we get to be thought leaders – piloting for better social outcomes and sustainability.  We get to pilot mass timber and emerging building science, climate adaptive design, reconciliation work and indigenous led design, and inclusive and accessible design.  Getting to be part of building better is very rewarding.

The most challenging part of the work is also the most intriguing. It’s the social change in the era we find ourselves in.  Growing up in the 80s and 90s as a woman of colour, I never imagined that I would be a leader in real estate development.  The discourse leading to the inclusive language of today is fascinating as it challenges us all to answer the tough questions – we can no longer kick it down the road. As a result, we build better and provide access to housing and a larger diversity of people and households than ever before and in a more equitable way.  Success to me is when you walk down a street and cannot tell that a building is a social or affordable housing project… it’s just good, quality housing. Even better is when you have lasting relationships with partners (non-profits and municipalities), where it’s not about a single project, it’s the next project and the next project after that.

You shared that one of your main projects’ successes included reconciliation with indigenous peoples, could you tell us a bit about that? 

Working with indigenous communities and non-profit housing partners has been some of the most humbling work. I’ve had to re-learn so many things and my mind has been opened to trials and challenges that many of us non-indigenous peoples would ever, or could ever imagine.  Indigenous communities have been living with the land and responding to housing across the vast geographies and climates in BC since time immemorial.  Just as we learn from climate scientists, design experts and engineers – we too can and should take the time to learn from Indigenous peoples.  When ULI-BC received ULI grants to run the Health Equity Partnerships: Barriers to Housing for Indigenous Peoples, it was an invitation to the sector to learn how to do better for indigenous communities – but really, the lessons can be applied to all communities, indigenous and non-indigenous alike.  How First Nations and peoples live intergenerationally; how systemic racism and historical oppression has negatively impacted opportunities for success; how the Indigenous Peoples respond to changes in climate and steward the land; and how Indigenous groups embrace community and culture are lessons to us all.  And maybe, just maybe if we can help create culturally safe spaces for Indigenous peoples (on and off reserve) to thrive, not just survive, the over representation of Indigenous Peoples in our homeless population will start to decline.  What I have learned is that you need to be introspective and understand your own biases first, apologize when you misstep (and we all do), and then try again to connect to really reach successful outcomes for all.  It’s really as simple as what our elders (from any culture) advise us from a young age – approach things with respect and a sense of curiosity – strive to be better tomorrow over what you have done yesterday.

It’s evident that service is one of your core values. You are involved in many committees and volunteering work, it’s inspiring. What is the driving force behind your community involvement?

Community is not buildings.  Real estate development is the curation of spaces (built and natural) through which we live and provide for the human experience.  Community is actually people, and investing in ourselves is where it starts.  Investing in ourselves and our teams (our staff, our mentees, our students) provides lenses and approaches to development where we all learn from each others’ mistakes and successes and only get better by using each other’s experience as a launching pad.  But we need to share to do this. We need to keep an open mind to do this – this means staying curious, sharing ideas and always learning.  If you’re learning, you should also be sharing or teaching.  This is how we innovate – this is how we do better. Community is connection.

What do you see as major risks to a redevelopment strategy? What would you like to see at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to improve affordable housing outcomes?

Hard question.  Remembering that risks are positive and negative – there is a risk to do something new and there is a risk of doing nothing.  If we do nothing, then land can be underutilized and we don’t leverage current opportunities to provide new ones in the future. In the interim we need people to fuel the economy, teach in our schools, build our roads (and housing), and provide healthcare as our expected life span is longer (and we are staying in our homes longer) than ever in history.

Infrastructure. I think the biggest risk to doing redevelopment is what we cannot always see underground.  This could be anything from archeological findings to new environmental standards, to aged infrastructure.  When you think about how ‘old’ BC is – where urbanization first occurred – much of that infrastructure is now near, at, or over the century mark and needs addressing for both modern day civil engineering standards, routing, capacity and future proofing needs.  This comes at a cost, at a time when base construction costs have never been higher.  How to balance the needs of modern urbanization with cost pressures is perhaps the most challenging in the longstanding issue of how to make the basic need of housing more affordable or more accessible when the acceleration of cost to build has exponentially outpaced our individual earnings.

Labour.  I grew up in an era where my traditional Asian family was all about ‘work in the office, not under the sun’, meaning get a management job, not a trade.  I would suggest many of my peers experienced the same.  The baby boomers and earlier Gen Xers are retiring.  We don’t have the selection in journey(wo)men we used, let alone finishing crafts(wo)men that we used to.  This is going to make the cost to construct a larger challenge.

Was there a moment that influenced your outlook on mentorship and/or cultivating a team? (Thought it’d be great to share some extracts of your award remarks in the article!)

Nothing we Can’t Fix.  I vividly recall a moment when the weight of responsibility in a new position began to overwhelm me. I was consumed by the fear of making mistakes and letting people down. My anxiety started to hinder my ability to make decisions and move forward in my work – classic imposter syndrome. One day, in a moment of vulnerability, I found myself pouring out my concerns to my boss, the incredible Armin Amrolia. Instead of dismissing my fears or offering empty reassurances, she paused, looked me in the eye, and said with unwavering confidence, “Stop. You carry integrity within you and years of experience. If you do make a mistake, there is very little we cannot fix. Take informed risks. This is how we innovate and create new things. This is how we do better.”

Those words struck a chord with me. They reminded me that leadership is not about avoiding mistakes at all costs but about having the courage to take risks, to push boundaries, and to embrace the unknown. It’s about learning from failures, adapting, and moving forward with resilience and determination.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Just Be Me.  This doesn’t mean to not be self aware, in fact, it requires you to be hyper aware of how others perceive you, but not in an insecure kind of way.  Embrace suggestions to adapt communication styles to reach diverse audiences – develop your brand.  It took me years to like myself – all my insecurities, all my shortcomings, all my mistakes and embarrassments. But what I realize now is that it is perhaps most of the relatable parts of me and admitting when you don’t know something is a sign of maturity and leadership… and an openness to learning.   Being authentic builds trust and fosters genuine connections. It’s about being unapologetically yourself, even when faced with challenges or expectations to conform. Because when we embrace our true selves, we not only inspire others to do the same but we foster an environment where everyone feels valued for who they are / to show up as their true selves. With this honesty comes diverse perspectives and talents that may otherwise not present themselves/ emerge. 

And

You cannot give what you don’t have. I am grateful to those who have gently reminded me to take a break, to set boundaries, to prioritize my well-being amidst the demands of leadership. As someone who is driven by a genuine desire to help others, it is easy to forget that “you can’t give what you don’t have.” I am continually learning to balance my passion for serving others with the need to nurture my own resilience and vitality.  I am fortunate to be surrounded by the most amazing community—a supportive work environment, dedicated teams, and empowering leaders and executives who encourage me to be the best version of myself every day. I get to ‘just be me’.