Peter Jeffery will tell you that his job is never boring. In fact, for the past seven years, he’s had a job that’s kept him literally on his toes.
Jeffery is WoodGreen’s current Director of Building Services and Capital Projects, overseeing the construction and maintenance of WoodGreen’s social housing buildings, after starting as a supervisor and quickly moving up the ranks. And he has enjoyed every moment of his career.
“I think the biggest thing that I enjoy is that you are not fixed to a desk eight hours a day. There is so much involvement in the community, such as meeting with different clients, contractors, and staff,” he says. “Every day is different. Every day something new comes to the table. I’ve been in this field for 38 years doing the same thing. It keeps you alive.”
Now, Jeffery at 61 years old is getting ready for a new adventure: Retirement. March 31 will be his last day at WoodGreen.
Many accomplishments over the years
Looking back at his time with the organization, Jeffery has many accomplishments that he is proud of. Some of them include the completion of a beautification project at 1119 Gerrard St. E., including a new rooftop patio for tenants to enjoy, and the installation of a new playground at 69 Pape Ave. He has also enjoyed many interactions with tenants at BBQs, tenant meetings and other events.
Over the years, Jeffery has also seen massive growth within the housing team. Since he started working with WoodGreen, the team has doubled. It has also adopted new technologies to better manage the buildings and communicate with tenants.
Even more, he has witnessed the impact of WoodGreen’s programs firsthand. One example was years ago when a client from WoodGreen’s Homeward Bound program did a job shadow with the housing team. Jeffery saw how talented the client was and that she could be an asset to the team, and played a role in getting her hired. Now, that former client is a supervisor in the housing team.
“She’s been my rock this past year with the number of projects we’ve had this past year,” says Jeffery. “It was unique to see her go from where she was to where she is now. I think she is going to do very well for herself.”
Looking forward to some travel
While Jeffery says saying goodbye to his WoodGreen colleagues is bittersweet, he has some exciting travel plans for the early days of his retirement. He is going on a trip to Cuba with his wife in a few weeks. After they get back, they are heading on a road trip to Texas to spend time with their son and their grandchildren.
When asked if he had any departing words for his colleagues, here’s what he had to say:
“Keep a smile on your face and keep doing what you are doing. From what I see everyone is doing a great job, we are all in this together. Just continue to work as a team, that’s the only way to get the work done.”
