For as long as he can remember, Randall Shier has loved art and architecture. His earliest experience was drawing and designing alongside his parents as they built a home in Vancouver’s Oakridge neighbourhood. This interest was cemented as his life’s passion on a trip to Manhattan when he was 12 years old.

With an architecture degree under his belt from the University of Southern California, Randy began working as an architect in 1985. But just six months in, he became disillusioned — not with design, but with its limitations. He realized his true calling was not only to design buildings, but to shape communities. He wanted to be involved in every phase: from vision to execution, and most importantly, to the lived experience of residents.

In 1986, Randy made the switch and began his real estate development career in Vancouver. After nearly two decades of success, he made a defining move to Kelowna to join a longtime friend. There, he became instrumental in the growth of what would become Mission Group.

Build It Forward

From the outset, Randy’s mission was clear: to help meet one of our most fundamental human needs — a safe and welcoming place to call home.

With a focus on multi-family housing, Randy played a key role in leading Mission Group to deliver creative, people-centered communities. Under his influence, Mission Group helped spark a renaissance in downtown Kelowna and Penticton — transforming urban cores into vibrant, inclusive spaces.

What sets Mission Group apart is not just the quality of its homes, but the whybehind its work. The company’s guiding purpose, Build It Forward, captures a deep belief: that real estate development must look beyond the bottom line to the broader good. From prioritizing housing for working individuals often overlooked in traditional housing models, to supporting non-profits that shelter vulnerable residents, Randy and his team have made community impact a core part of their work.

Inspiration at Home

Anyone who knows Randy, also knows that the inspiration behind his heart for the marginalized is singular: his wife, Sandy.

Randy’s longtime business partner and friend, Jonathan Friesen, described it to us this way:

Randy, to his core, adores his wife and loves the empathy she has for people.  Where Randy is mission-driven and efficient, Sandy feels things deeply and is a champion for the underdogs and the marginalized — she has an incredible passion for helping others. Randy turns to Sandy to show him the way in this area of his life. Randy is thoughtful and purposeful and he’s been blessed beyond measure. With Sandy at his side, he has the ability to help others, and so he does.

This year, just a few short months after Randy retired from his position as the CEO of Mission Group, we were proud to present him with our first Heart for Home Award at our Awards Celebration in May 2025. The award recognizes Randy’s career-spanning commitment to building creative and thoughtful communities — places where people aren’t just housed, but feel truly at home.

Learn more about the 2025 Foundation Awards here.