NEREJ's Ones to Watch 2019

Courtney Bjorgaard
Housing Initiative Lead, South Shore Chamber of Commerce​

Year you entered your current field? 2016
What do you consider to be your greatest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months? My greatest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months has been taking the South Shore Chamber’s 2030 Housing report and putting it into an action plan. It’s easy to talk about what needs to be done. It’s tougher to come up with the plan to implement some of these bigger changes to help businesses and communities plan for the economic future of the region. Check out our work here: www.southshore2030.com. 
Who or what do you attribute to your success? Nobody can do it all on their own. You have to find people you can trust, to lean on and to go to for input and advice. We have a lot of fantastic professionals across the South Shore that I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with to make things happen. Following through, showing up, asking questions, being open to new ideas, working as a team, looking at issues from all perspectives to try and work toward a solution. 
What advice can you offer to someone who is interested in a career in your industry? It’s all about relationships. Treat people with respect, be prepared and be thoughtful in the delivery of your message. 
Who are some leaders that you admire and why? ?I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of fantastic business leaders throughout the South Shore over these past few years – many that care deeply about their communities. I’m not from this area, but it feels like I’ve been here forever. That says something about the people in our communities and the people who are involved in the Chamber and our work. They are thoughtful, open-minded, flexible and passionate about their business and they want to see people succeed. 

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