When Sally Duff landed her first job in the housing field, she was so shy that she hardly spoke a word for fear that she might say the wrong thing.

Today, just four years later, Sally is recognized as a visionary leader in Nova Scotia when it comes to First Nation housing. Through her commitment to helping others, she has found her voice and landed a career that has brought her more personal and professional rewards than she could have ever imagined.

“I love my job,” Sally said. “I love learning and helping others learn new things. I love teaching people different techniques for maintaining their homes and yards. And I love seeing how proud so many of my community members are of their homes.”

Sally was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and moved to her home community of Pictou Landing First Nation at the age of 15. She and her husband Eddie, her high school sweetheart, raised three beautiful children together in her home community and still reside there today.

For most of her adult life, Sally was a proud stay-at-home mom. But when her youngest child went off to school in 2008, Sally decided it was time for a new challenge. She enrolled in an Adult Learning Program at the Nova Scotia Community College – Pictou Campus. In 2010, she graduated from that program with Honours.

It was at that same school that Sally saw a posting for a job in Pictou Landing’s housing department. “I was very interested in the field, and I really ...