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The Path Less Planned - Shawni Lo
May 29, 2024
Shawni Lo, Director, Development, CAPREIT
The Unpredictable Path- From Academic to Real Estate Profressional
When I was an undergraduate student majoring in psychology, I could never have imagined that my career path would lead me to work for my then-landlord, Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (CAPREIT), the largest residential REIT in Canada and eventually oversee development projects across the country.
A career in the real estate development industry was not part of my initial plan and has not always been a linear path. Navigating a professional journey often involves a well-structured plan, but equally important is the ability to adapt when faced with unexpected changes. For me, the journey has been a balancing act between implementing a coordinated plan and being flexible enough to manage surprises. In this blog, I will share how both my professional encounters and personal challenges have shaped my approach to planning and adaptation.
Having been trained as an Urban Planner in the post-graduate program, I have a strong tendency to “plan”. I routinely map out my workday and week, structure the project strategy and budget, and plan for the development of individual sites or multi-phase communities that can span several years. However, experience has taught me that deviations from these plans, whether short-term or long-term, are not just necessary but inevitable.
After graduating, my goal was to become a municipal planner in a major metropolitan city like Toronto. My post-graduate courses had been mostly theoretical, focusing on policies and guidelines, and many of the lecturers had backgrounds in municipal planning, which made this field seem like a natural career path. However, upon moving back to Ontario from Alberta, securing a municipal planning job in the Greater Toronto Area proved more challenging than I expected. After a few months of job searching, I adjusted my expectations and opted for a contract Planner position in the rural municipality of Norfolk County. To my surprise, this role provided me with a wide range of responsibilities, from reviewing development applications to presenting recommendations at Council meetings. These opportunities would not have been available to a junior Planner if I had joined a larger municipality.
Adapting to New Roles – Residential Developer and Housing Provider
When my contract position ended, I resumed my job search in Toronto. While undergoing the rigorous interview process in the public sector, a recruiter contacted me. There was an opportunity with a residential condominium developer. The recruitment process was swift. Once again, I found myself deviating from my original plan and venturing into the unknown territory of the private sector. Within a few days of finalizing my employment contract, I began my role as a Development Planner with Malibu Investments. There, under the guidance of a seasoned female mentor, I had the privilege of overseeing the lifecycle of several residential developments, from land acquisition to condo occupancy. It was through this position that I unexpectedly began my professional journey as a housing provider.
While working for the condo developer, my interest in affordable housing grew through volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity. When a position opened up with Toronto Community Housing, I joined the team with the ambition of expediting the delivery of affordable housing through the development pipeline. However, I soon realized the various obstacles that Toronto Community Housing faces. The immense scale of revitalization and the challenging relocation process coupled with high design standards and accountability expectations placed on the public agency often prolonged the development process. Over my nine years with Toronto Community Housing, I gained valuable insights into community engagement, where diverse voices and perspectives of stakeholders including elected officials, tenants, non-profit operators, and the surrounding community, were integral to the decision-making process. Although this approach can take time, the widespread support for the final outcomes is often overwhelming. My tenure at Toronto Community Housing was a humbling experience that taught me to set aside my agenda and embrace changes as they come.
Navigating Personal Challenges – Learning Resilience
My blog would not be complete without sharing my personal challenges during this period. While working for Toronto Community Housing, my husband and I were trying to expand our family. I had a schedule and a plan in mind. Over the course of two years, I experienced multiple miscarriages. With each pregnancy, I found myself contemplating the next steps in accelerating ongoing projects and my career trajectory. With each loss, I was compelled to reevaluate my priorities and aspirations. Fortunately, I had strong support from my supervisor and a close colleague friend to help me navigate through this difficult period at work. With the many unexpected twists and turns, I had to constantly remind myself to focus on the aspects that I could control, such as my health and maintaining a work-life balance, and to let go of fixed expectations.
Looking back on my professional journey, I have learned that while having goals and aspirations is crucial, it is equally important to stay flexible and adaptable. The paths are rarely linear. Whether it was shifting my career focus or dealing with personal challenges, I have found resiliency by taking an open-minded approach. Embracing unexpected opportunities and remaining flexible with specific outcomes has been key to navigating both my professional and personal life. My current role as the Director of Development at CAPREIT allows me to adapt project strategies under evolving conditions and instill a flexible team environment that tailors to individual needs. With fluctuations in the housing market and changes in government policies, my team is constantly evaluating new opportunities and adjusting our strategies. The extensive portfolio of properties we manage across the country can make the task both exciting and challenging. More importantly, I recognize how essential it is to provide the team members with flexibility and autonomy they need in a fast-paced environment. As I look forward to what lies ahead, I am grateful for the lessons learned from the unexpected opportunities and excited for what the future holds.
Bio
Shawni Lo is the Director of Development with Canadian Apartment Properties REIT (CAPREIT), Canada’s largest publicly traded provider of rental housing. She leads all development projects of CAPREIT, with a focus on value maximization through the identification and entitlement of potential development sites. Previously, Shawni was a Senior Development Manager with Toronto Community Housing, where she oversaw the revitalization of several social housing communities in Toronto. She was responsible for the redevelopment of a mixed-tenure, mixed-income community in Lawrence Heights.
Shawni is a Registered Professional Planner. She holds a Master of Environmental Design from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Science from McGill University.