Staff Announcement: Sonya Donovan as Managing Director, Real Estate

From: Scott Mabury, Vice-President, Operations & Real Estate Partnerships
Date: June 2, 2023
Re: Sonya Donovan as Managing Director, Real Estate

In November 2018, the 4 Corners Strategy was unveiled at the University of Toronto. The result of a planning exercise begun in October 2017, the Strategy seeks to address a critical need for on-campus housing, innovation space and other services. The key elements of the 4 Corners Strategy is to deliver those amenities while creating a source of annual revenues which will contribute not only to the university’s academic mission, but also to our broader community.  The identification and evaluation of real estate development opportunities, and related negotiations and marketing, are essential to the success of the 4 Corners Strategy, and a search was recently undertaken to find the right person to replace our inaugural MD, Josh Mitchell, who could continue the work he’d started to develop and manage our tri-campus, 4 Corners within my Vice-President, Operations & Real Estate Partnerships portfolio.

I am delighted to announce that Sonya Donovan has accepted our offer to join the OREP team as Managing Director, Real Estate, effective June 19, 2023.

Currently, Director of Real Estate at the University of Guelph, Sonya leads a team responsible for the creation and implementation of a new real estate entity that will allow for the active management, investment, and development of the University’s extensive land holdings. She is also leading the strategy and masterplan that will guide the development of these land holdings once the new entity is in place. Prior to that Sonya held progressively senior roles in commercial real estate, many with Oxford Properties Group, focusing on investments, leasing, and development. Sonya sits on two not-for-profit boards, My Friends House, a women’s and children’s shelter that serves the Georgian Triangle, and CRE8, a not-for-profit organization she co-founded with four other women to help increase the advancement and participation of women in the commercial real estate sector. Sonya is a CPA, CA, as well as a licensed real estate agent. She holds an Honours Business Administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at University of Western Ontario.

We are delighted that Sonya has decided to join the Operations & Real Estate Partnerships in this key role!