Housing Advocate
(Photo: Martin Dee)
Marcio Teixeira da Silva, MAS’18 (Van)
For Marcio Teixeira da Silva, MAS’18 (Van), life began at 40. Armed with a master’s degree in civil engineering, he made a bold decision that changed the course of his life. He moved to Canada to pursue a graduate degree — this time in administrative science — at FDU’s Vancouver Campus.
“I’m proud of the path I’ve taken,” he says. “I went from being an international student to a Canadian citizen, faculty member at University Canada West and senior manager of regional development in an important Crown corporation [BC Housing].”
Working at BC Housing is more than a career for Teixeira da Silva — it’s also a calling. “We work to reduce homelessness,” he says, “so completing a project and meeting happy residents is really fulfilling. The work that we do is very important because housing stability is crucial and impacts everything, especially our mental health.”
At BC Housing, he oversees the work of four development managers and their portfolios, which total around 80 residential projects. “We build different forms of housing — from shelters to affordable housing projects with different levels of rents and subsidies,” he says. “Among them are the Polson Park redevelopment in Vernon, Genesis Place II in Kamloops and a new supportive housing project in Nelson.”
Teixeira da Silva takes his job’s mandate seriously and understands the key role that leadership plays in ensuring that no project falls by the wayside. “It’s important that I’m able to motivate the development managers,” he says. “This is where understanding different personality styles and finding the best ways to boost the team’s productivity come into play.”
His FDU education helped him become a more effective leader. “It provided me with many tools to analyze different aspects of leadership and how to best apply them in my daily work life,” he adds.
He is grateful to FDU for helping shape his future and looks back with fondness at the whole experience. “The best parts about studying at FDU were the amazing professors and the welcoming environment,” he says.
Teixeira da Silva is determined to help inspire the younger generation — whether through the courses he teaches or by sharing his life’s journey. “When people look at me, I hope to send a message that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams, whatever they may be,” he says. “If I was able to do it at 40, they can do it as well.”
He also continues to hold onto a bigger dream — one he works toward every day — where every single person in British Columbia, Canada, has a safe, affordable and quality place to call home.
FAMILY TIES
“I admire my parents, Maria Cecilia and Flavio. My mother, who was a successful architect in Brazil, reinvented herself and now manages a tourism business in Canada.”
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
He starts his day with the morning news and coffee. After work he does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training and goes home to make dinner and spend time with his partner, Maegan.
BE PRESENT
“I believe in living in the moment. Do not waste your time on regrets or being nostalgic. If we focus too much on the past, we lose the most precious thing: the present moment.”