Employee Spotlight: Cheryl Davis

Cresa is committed to building an inclusive workplace that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our employees. Our employee spotlight series gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique experience.

With over ten years of marketing and design experience, Cheryl Davis applies creativity and strategic thinking to all projects. She works closely with the Denver and Salt Lake City office advisors and managing principals to develop client deliverables and general marketing materials, creating visualizations of various aspects of Cresa's integrated service lines while delivering a clear message with brand consistency.

How did you get into the industry?

I have no idea! I was in the middle of my job search a few years ago and I received a call from Cresa, saying they wanted me to come in for an interview. The thing is, I had a pretty extensive spreadsheet comprising all the places I had applied, and Cresa wasn’t on it. So… I guess… fate?

What are some challenges you have encountered during your career and how did you overcome them?

When I first started, the Denver office had several people working in a support capacity. As people left, I began taking on their duties, and now I’m the only support person in our office of 20 plus people. I also offer support to a few other people in other offices. So I guess my biggest challenge is trying to organize my work load to make sure everyone gets what they need in a timely manner, and learning that I don’t have to do everything by myself – Cresa is full of qualified people who can help.

Why are you passionate about what you do?

I love helping people and I love creating things, so this is the perfect combination of those two passions.

What organization(s) are you currently involved with?

I do a lot of volunteer work on my weekends, mostly at my church.

How did you become involved with this organization?

I started out working with presentations/creating graphics. I tend to sing a lot, and one day someone heard me and I ended up singing with the band for several years. A few years ago I had a pretty serious jaw infection that caused me to lose the hearing in my right ear, so I don’t sing anymore. I’ve now moved behind the scenes where I act as producer several times a month. I like that I will inform everyone of something coming up in the program, I’ll see a camera operator go get the shot I need, and when I count down the director will put that camera live. It’s sort of what I do here, the client is not aware of my involvement, but I will work with an advisor on several surveys and tour books, and then suddenly, several months later, I’ll see a sign where the client has moved in, and I think, wow – I gathered information, presented it in an easy-to-understand format and I helped get them there!

What has your involvement with this organization taught you?

No matter how small the job, everyone is important. Even if you’re not in the spotlight, the cog/wheel that you are gets everything turning and working properly.

How do you think we can better promote diversity, inclusion and belonging within the CRE industry?

I think we could branch out a bit when we’re looking to hire. It’s easy keep fishing from the same known pool, the same pond to find people, but that gets us the same fish every time. We need to research other avenues for talent.