Leadership Spotlight | Shelby Ballow of Dowling Construction
Shelby shares her BOMA success tips and how to maximize your membership
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
by: Michele Ignacio, A.O. Reed & Co.

Section: Leadership Spotlight




Shelby Ballow is this month’s featured BOMA San Diego Leader.  She is one of BOMA’s most accomplished members.  She served as the Special Events Committee chairperson and participated in the Expo, Communications, Sponsorship, and Awards & Scholarships committees.  In 2020, she earned a spot on the BOMA San Diego Board of Directors.  With her strong work ethic, creativity, positive attitude, and team player mentality, she achieved a lot of success in our organization.  She was recognized as the 2018 Chairperson of the Year and the 2019 Ray Magnussen Associate Member of the Year -- two of the top awards an Associate Member can earn in our chapter. 

Shelby grew up in Bonita, graduated from Bonita Vista High School, and then went off to the University of Hawaii at Manoa on the island of Oahu where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English.  She currently lives in Lemon Grove with her husband Brandon and their three fur babies – a pair of mini dachshunds named Boomer and Sadie, and a German Shepherd Lab mix named Porter. In case you didn’t know, Shelby and Brandon are expecting their first child!  The Ballows will be welcoming their baby boy in August 2020.  

Read below to learn more about Shelby:

BOMA San Diego:  What company do you work for, how long have you been there and what is your role?

Shelby: I’ve worked for Dowling Construction for 4.5 years.  I was hired as office administrator and am now a project coordinator who spearheads most of our business development/marketing efforts.

BOMA San Diego: You are one of BOMA San Diego’s bonafide rock stars, having earned the highest honors an Associate Member can receive in our Chapter – the Chairperson of the Year award in 2018 and Ray Magnussen Associate Member of the Year award in 2019.  What is the secret to your success?

Shelby:  The secret is to volunteer for a task and follow through with doing it — this will get you noticed. Then, attend as many BOMA events as you can, and other members whom you’ve impressed with getting stuff done will introduce you to others and mention you did x, y, and z. BOMA is a tight network and success stories spread quickly!

BOMA San Diego: How has the experience you gained as a BOMA leader helped you with your career at Dowling Construction?

Shelby: I think my success with BOMA has given me confidence to approach my team with new ideas that may be out of the box for our company and has given me added credibility now that I am in the loop with industry changes.

BOMA San Diego: What advice would you give to our emerging leaders who are interested in volunteering for a leadership position at the committee level?

Shelby: Take the plunge and just do it! Ask for help and guidance on expectations from previous or current committee chairs (across all committees, not just the one you are on)

BOMA San Diego: Congratulations on joining the 2020 BOMA San Diego Board of Directors.  What is your biggest challenge as a liaison and what is your plan to overcome it?

Shelby: Adjusting to different leadership styles. My plan is to just communicate often with the chairs and vice-chairs, provide tips that I know have been successful in the past, and make it known I am here to support whenever and wherever they need me.

BOMA San Diego: Many of our members have hidden talents and hobbies.  Tell us about one of your talents and/or hobbies.

Shelby: I’ve been told I’m an exceptional baker. My most common request at the office is German chocolate cake. I also love to scuba dive and recently made my husband get certified so all our future vacations can revolve around diving!