Mar 22nd, 2024

Employee Spotlight: Meet Melinda 

When Project Manager Melinda Comeau joined OCH more than two years ago, she wanted to work where she could make a positive difference in people’s lives.  

 It’s only fitting that in November, Melinda received the CARE award for exemplifying OCH’s values — collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence — through her work with the Welcome Home program.  

The Welcome Home Program is designed to create more welcoming spaces for tenants and their guests. By investing in improvements to the lobby and building common areas, we foster a sense of community pride.   

Did you know that OCH completed 14 Welcome Home projects in 2023? That means makeovers in buildings across the city, impacting thousands of tenants.   

The projects are a true, one-team approach involving Asset Management, Tenant Experience, and the Community Development team. Tenants are also involved in the projects and get a chance to select flooring, doors, or paint colours from a few options provided by Melinda.  

 While it seems like Melinda was born to her role as Project Manager, few people know she started out her career out of college as a dental assistant.  

 What does a typical day look like for Melinda?  

Melinda starts her day off with coffee in hand. Then she hits the road. Most days, she travels from building to building, inspecting construction sites. She meets with Property Managers, contractors and other OCH team members. She also prepares progress reports and tenders for upcoming work.  

For tenants, she prepares concept boards for upcoming common space makeovers. This allows residents to provide feedback. 

“I love this part of my job,” Melinda said.  

We asked Melinda what to tell us her favourite thing about her position.  

For her, it is about the tenants she has come to know over the last two-and-a-half years. 

“When we refurbish our lobbies, I spend a fair bit of time on site, and because of this, I get a chance to chat and listen to their stories. I must say, some have become close to my heart,” she said. 

On the flip side, one of Melinda’s biggest challenges is that no two days look the same. She said she has learned a lot over the last two years. Each building and tenant population is different, meaning what worked with one project in one building may not work in another. She said the team spends a lot of time collaborating and problem-solving to minimize the number of interruptions to the tenants while work is being completed.  

 We asked Melinda to talk about what International Women’s Day means to her: