My Path to an Engaging Career

By Suzanne LeValley, CPM®, CMOC, Emeritus

I like to think that my success as a businesswoman is due to my intellect, dedication and persistence, but I also know that my association with REIC and my CPM designation have played a big part. Bill McCarthy, a Past President of REIC and close friend, has told me many times that ‘my story’ is one worthy of sharing with my REIC colleagues.

To me it isn't anything special. I happened into a career in real estate in my early twenties, when I was hired as a secretary in a small real estate brokerage in Vancouver. It was a great job at the time. I worked for five men, and they became big brothers to me, a shy transplant from Ontario.

Because of my unique situation, I was nurtured, first into an accounting role, and then into property management. In 1985, I took the first course toward my CPM designation. I couldn't have found a better outlet for my restless nature. That led me to receive my designation in 1993, and long-term employment with a large national company.

I was encouraged by a friend in REIC to start my business managing condominiums, and I did. I found as much stimulation and challenge as I could handle, in the arenas of managing my portfolio in the early years, and my company as it grew. Time flew - challenges were met, goals accomplished. Now I'm facing retirement.

The last decade has been the most challenging of my career. Because of my designation, I constantly strive to innovate and change how we do our work. Many of those ideas sprang from REIC colleagues and conferences. That's a role I have no intention of relinquishing as I retire from the daily running of my company.

Property management encompasses what I believe are the essentials of success in any business: customer service, human resource management, financial management, and asset management, to name a few. Through my volunteer work with REIC, my life has been enriched even more. I've made friends and learned about governance and leadership.

I wouldn't change anything about my experience. I wish that everyone in my REIC ‘family’ could cherish similar memories of the value of their membership. •

Suzanne LeValley, CPM®, CMOC, Emeritus, is President of Longley Condominium Services Ltd., in Calgary, AB. Email: suzanne@longleycondo.com