Like many accomplished, professional communicators, FVREB’s new Communications Manager Lilian Choi’s undergraduate studies were outside the field proper – in Lilian’s case, French language and psychology. “Quite early in life, I discovered I had a certain gift for languages,” she says, “learning them came very naturally and with surprisingly little effort.”
It’s no surprise that such a facility would lead to a career in Communications, which began when she accepted a communications role with the Federal Government to showcase Canada at the Taejon Expo in South Korea – a role requiring trilingual skills in English, French and Korean. Representing Canada on the world stage, at the first World’s Fair in a developing country was the “experience of a lifetime” and paved the way for a rewarding career.
With 20 years of experience in Communications, Lilian has worked for a range of companies and organizations, including the Calgary Police Service, Arctic Co-operatives Limited, and more recently, The Flag Shop, where she was VP, Communications & Community Relations. Along the way she’s written hundreds of thousands of words for blogs, articles, video scripts and speeches for police chiefs, the Mayor’s Office, C-suite executives – and, of course, friends and family.
For Lilian, it always starts with the words. “Language and words have power – the power to connect, express, unite, influence and inform,” she says. “Regardless of the channel or medium, the goal is always human connection through expression of thoughts, ideas, information and even emotion. When you achieve that, it becomes more than just words on a page; it becomes inspiration to change the world, to build trust, or to preserve reputation.”
She inherited a sturdy work ethic from her parents, who overcame considerable adversity leaving their homeland to pursue studies in America and who, by their dreams and vision for a brighter future, moved to Canada when their children were small. She describes her early career path as that of an extreme workaholic, driven by values of family and hard work at the expense of nearly everything else. “My focus was on work, work, work – with plans to enjoy life later on,” she says. “With experience, you realize it’s not realistic or sustainable, and I now recognize just how vital balance is in life, while finding joy in work – and these things actually lead to improved productivity.”
This wisdom and experience are welcome assets as she leads the newly revitalized Communications team – Social & Digital Community Lead, Monique Eucapor; Graphic Designer, Gulshan Josan; Communications Coordinator, Vanessa Cheng; and Communications Specialist Ateetmani Brar – each of whom brings their own unique strengths and contributions to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
“I’m extremely proud to support a team of incredibly bright and caring individuals. In a relatively short time, we’ve established a level of trust and commitment that helps us serve the Board membership and uphold the reputation of the Board in the sector and the community.” Plus, she adds, “We laugh almost every day!”
Lilian sees exciting opportunities to leverage communications to elevate the Board’s standing as a trusted organization of expertise and innovation. “Comms has an important role to play in positioning the Board to benefit the membership and enhance Realtors’ overall image. Improving our existing processes and adding new tools are necessarily part of our daily work – but telling our stories and making connections with our members are at the heart of good communications.”
FVREB Communications