Yun Luo Named Emerging Leader by Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation
LERA's Yun Luo has been named an Emerging Leader in the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation's 2020 program. Yun started at LERA in 2017 her recent work includes healthcare, residential, and commercial buildings in New York and Hong Kong. Congratulations to Yun on all of your accomplishments!
Pictured Above: Yun Luo signing the beam at the Coney Island Hospital new building ceremony.
Yun is one of 17 women professionals selected for the 2020 class. Begun in 2017, the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (BWAF) Emerging Leaders program is a New York-based, selective professional development opportunity for women 5-10 years of experience.
In small group format, invitees engage with significant senior women in architecture, engineering, construction, real estate, law, and financial services to advance their own career goals. Participants share common experiences and trade personal strategies for success.
When Yun was asked about her experience demonstrating leadership ability, risk, and the recent book she had read. This is what she had to say:
"Leadership is the focusing of disparate talents and opinions towards a common objective. I have been co-chairing the Structural Engineer Emergency Response committee of the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY). The existing volunteer roster system required an unsustainable amount of maintenance and is frowned on by the national SEA organization, but was favored by other members of the committee. I was able to take the lead and obtain buy-in for adopting a new system customized to fit our needs, in part by devising a communication plan so volunteers registered through the old system were not forgotten."
"Risk is a situation where the outcome is uncertain and potentially negative. Having a baby for an early-career woman is a definite career risk. I took the risk two years ago and so far the outcome is positive.
I think it is critical to adaptively manage the risk instead of simply acknowledging exists and leaving things to chance. I was managing a project in the construction phase when my son was born, so before I went on leave I communicated my plan with all of my partners and colleagues. As I came back to work, I stayed transparent and honest about my ability to make commitments. This has allowed me to maintain my career trajectory while experiencing the personal satisfaction of being a mother."
As someone who has a 10-month-old, the latest book I read is Caring for Your Baby and Young Child by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Being a parent is new and scary to me, so reading a practical book by medical experts has brought me some reassurance.
