Laurier Grads Soar is a multi-part series that returns for it's third installment during the 2018-19 season. The segment features former Wilfrid Laurier University athletes and student-leaders in the Athletics and Recreation Department, and the success they have enjoyed since leaving Laurier. Written by award-winning journalist David Grossman, different features will be released throughout the year that will emphasize the role Athletics and Recreation played in helping them achieve success.Ginger Whitney: Vice President, Whitney and Company Realty LimitedGinger Whitney knows all about “the family”.
There's the family with descendants and common ancestry, and then there is the one that involves a fellowship of individuals who have had a common affiliation – like her friends at Wilfrid Laurier University.
Even with great stories, discussions and memories, Whitney spends a fair chunk of her time involved in a different kind of family that always has the words – let's make a deal. Nothing to do with the popular game show, Whitney is the fifth generation of family involved in real estate.
Now Vice President of Whitney and Company Realty Limited, her time is spent practising in commercial, industrial, investment and retail property throughout mid-western Ontario. Based in Waterloo, the family real estate roots go back to 1911 when relatives first started offering strong knowledge, and advice, in property services.
“I like making deals and it's something that I do every day,” said the former Laurier student and lacrosse player. “Sometimes deals don't work out, so you go back and re-examine how you can make things better the next time.”
With more leases than sales, deadlines and tense moments, the job can be exhausting.
“As a youngster, I heard my parents talking about deals, but I actually didn't know what commercial real estate meant,” said Whitney. “I was interested in marketing and advertising, and it took a lot to convince me to follow the family business.”
It was back in her days at Laurier, before she graduated in 2010 with a degree in Communication Studies and Geography, that Whitney got a taste of her future career. She was doing a co-op program at Blackberry, the software company, and heard her father speak about his job.
In 2010, she got her Real Estate license and almost a decade later, she's now a senior executive in the top brokerage and leasing office business in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.
Whitney has come a long way since those days when she attended St. John's Kilmarnock, a reputable private school in Breslau, located between Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo. She was an honors academic student, and very active in school sports.
All that carried over when she chose Laurier for a post-secondary education. On the competitive sports scene, she was a member of teams that won back-to-back-to-back lacrosse championships in the Ontario University Athletics league.
“I took the dogs for a walk and did it while carrying my lacrosse stick and throwing balls,” she recalled. “Lacrosse at Laurier was very special – and not just winning the three goal medals.”
“I went to Laurier because of the program, the atmosphere of a small school and while looking at schools like Queen's and the University of British Columbia, Laurier came across so much better for me – the overall experience was something I won't forget.”
Whitney said she also had a learning disability “and there was more flexibility at Laurier, they were accommodating, and the more I was there, the more I loved the place”.
When she does find some recreational time, Whitney turns to fitness.
“It's important to me, and I try get time to golf in the summer and alpine skiing in the winter,” she said. “At Laurier, I had to juggle lacrosse and studies. Now, I try to do my best in my work, but also find time to get involved in community organizations.
“I'm also quite passionate about doing what I can to help adolescent girls and those who are most vulnerable. I know I can be a positive influence for many, and there is nothing better than being a role model for them.”
-END-
David Grossman is a multi award-winning communicator and storyteller with a distinguished career in Broadcasting, Journalism and Public Relations in Sport and Government RelationsPrevious FeaturesSteve Griggs - Chief Executive Officer and President, Tampa Bay LightningSophie Kotsopoulos - Senior Director of Integrated Marketing, National Hockey LeagueMike McKenna - Former Director, Telecom, Media and Technology Investment BankingNicole Lee - Director of Integrated Marketing, National Hockey LeagueMike Bartlett - Executive Director, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment FoundationRebecca Watts - Manager, 2017 World Junior Hockey ChampionshipHugh Lawson - Director of Business Development, Staples Promotional ProductsCheryl Pounder - Former Canadian National Women's Hockey Team MemberJohn Morris - 2010 Olympic Men's Curling Gold MedalistBill Burke - Chief Executive Officer and Owner, Niagara Ice DogsTania Pedron - Manager of Administration and Operations, Maple Leafs Sport and EntertainmentWayne Kemick - BMO Wealth AdvisorDenise Burke - President, Niagara Ice DogsKevin McDonald - Vice President of Football Operations and Player Safety, CFLDr. Megan Yaraskavitch - NeurologistAndrew Agro - Director of Corporate Sponsorship and Business Development, New York JetsMarcia Powers-Dunlop - Senior Manager of Professional Support Services, Toronto District School BoardJoe Vernon - Lawyer, Miller CanfieldEmily Rudow - Founder, Oneiric HockeyTodd Cooney - Vice President and Broker, CBRE LimitedJennifer Elliott - Sports Information Officer, uOttawa Gee-GeesRohan Thompson - Social Worker and Professor, Conestoga CollegeDr. Fiona Aiston - Family DoctorJeremy Hedges - Founder and President, InksmithSadie Anderson - FirefighterAndrea Elliott - Sports Information Specialist, Ryerson RamsAlyssa Lagonia - Professional Soccer PlayerAshley Stephenson - Teacher and member of Canada's national women's baseball programJ.R. Edwards - General Manager/Country Director, Carlsberg USA
