
You may recognize our next Member Spotlight who served as a judge for our recent Cheers Challenge event, or maybe you have seen her on stage at the Poet's Cauldron. Either way, we are excited to introduce you to Ariel Lim, who is a multi-talented woman that wears many hats in our community. Ariel is the Senior Housing Development Officer for the City of Worcester, as well as a yoga instructor and a spoken word poet.

Name: Ariel Lim
Pronouns (or preferred name): She/Her/Hers
Hometown: Worcester, MA
A fun fact about yourself: I am also a spoken word poet and a yoga instructor.
What brings you back to YPWA this season? The current leadership brings renewed enthusiasm for the group with a strong community presence, and the event lineup aligns with my preferred types of networking opportunities.
Do you have any tips for networking during our events?
I think the best way to network during YPWA events is to start conversations with the women around you, and not go in with any sort of agenda or set of expectations. Let conversations flow organically, and you’ll meet some amazing women in the process.
Local Recommendations/ Favorite Hot Spots
Favorite place to grab a coffee/tea: The Bean Counter Bakery on Highland Street. This location has some of my favorite vegan treats and plenty of seating for coffee meet-ups with friends or dates.
Favorite volunteer event/organization around the city: Dress for Success Worcester holds a special place in my heart as a former client and employee.
Favorite place for a night out in the Worcester area: The Poet’s Cauldron open mic event at the White Room every third Sunday of the month is my favorite night out in Worcester.
Tell us about your work in the world. What do you do?
Occupation: Senior Housing Development Officer for the City of Worcester - I manage the HOME Investment Partnerships Program grant funding, which provides gap funding for larger housing development projects in the City. Our current focus is creating or rehabilitating housing for folks who have been unhoused for significant periods of time.
Yoga Instructor for the YWCA of Central MA - This is a brand new role, which I am excited to begin soon. I will be teaching chair yoga to YWCA members warming up for their swimming routines.
How did you get started? I began my career with the City of Worcester as a member of the Community Development Advisory Committee, where I reviewed and voted on Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding requests for public services and public facilities projects. This committee is overseen by the Executive Office of Economic Development, and when a position opened up within the department, I applied for a very entry-level role. After several years in that role, a position opened in the Housing Development Division, and I was promoted to Housing Program Coordinator. In that role, I managed our CDBG housing rehabilitation programs and several ARPA programs, including utility assistance, flood insurance assistance, and owner-occupied housing rehabilitation. With my team, we were able to approve and complete a record number of projects. When the Senior Housing Development Officer role became vacant, my experience and track record led to my promotion.
What is your favorite part of your job? And least favorite? My favorite part of my job is working with my team in the Housing Development Division. We bring a wide variety of expertise and experience to the table and collaborate effectively, and usually have some fun in the process. My least favorite part of my job is the red tape involved with spending our grant funding. HUD is known for its rules and regulations, and the biggest cost associated with our programs is time - time spent complying with all of the rules and regulations.
What’s your favorite tip that makes work life easier for you? Never take anything personal! When working with an applicant, contractor, developer, higher-up etc., there will always be conflicting priorities and expectations, and you can’t take it personally if someone is upset about things beyond your control.
Finding your path, personally and professionally
Is your current position one that you expected and were working towards, or did a different path lead you there? I never imagined myself working for the City of Worcester, and especially not in Housing Development. I was a teen mom from Main South Worcester who spent my 20s grinding through undergrad and graduate school, dealing with personal challenges, divorce, and co-parenting. It took me a long time to find my place and feel like I belonged amongst my peers at City Hall, and I am fortunate and grateful to have mentors and colleagues who’ve supported and empowered me along the way.
Tell us about one of your most rewarding experiences since you have started your role as Senior Housing Development Officer. One of my most rewarding experiences has been witnessing my colleague who moved into my previous role now thriving in the position. We’ve worked closely with some of the other members of our team to get him started off on the best possible foot, and he’s really run with it so far. We have an open-door policy on our team, and I love that he feels comfortable asking questions as needed, but also making decisions on his own.
What do you do outside of work? Do you have any passions or projects that you’re working on? Outside of my role with the City, I also teach yoga. I was recently hired by the YWCA of Central MA to teach chair yoga, and I am excited about this new yoga chapter. I also enjoy performing spoken word poetry, and my favorite venue is The Poet’s Cauldron hosted at the White Room every third Sunday of the month. The poet community in Worcester is amazing and inspiring and I love being a part.
Where to connect with Ariel:
LinkedIn:
Instagram:
Personal: https://www.instagram.com/ariel.m.lim/
Business/Organizations:
Thank you so much, Ariel! We've got several spots to feature our members for the 24-25 season. If you'd like to nominate yourself or a friend for the member spotlight, you can do so here. We thank all our outstanding members that have shared their experiences, tips, and love of the Worcester area with us this season!
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