Troy Macbeth Abromaitis is a community builder, proud member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation, and a two-time BCIT grad in Marketing Management (Professional Real Estate option) and Leadership Management (now known as the Business Administration). For Troy, leadership is not defined by titles, accolades, or milestones. True leadership lies in the ability to bridge worlds: to transform loss into renewal, disconnection into belonging, and adversity into lasting change. It is the willingness to walk a path few can see, and to make that path visible for others to follow.
Troy’s story did not begin with opportunity, but with separation. As a child of the Sixties Scoop, he was taken from his family, put up for adoption, and raised apart from his community, language, and cultural teachings. For decades, he navigated systems not designed with him in mind, carrying an invisible absence that shaped his early years. Yet even through those years of disconnection, a quiet bond remained — an unbroken thread tying him back to the people and lands from which he had been taken.
When devastating wildfires ravaged Lytton First Nation, destroying homes, lands, and sacred spaces. Troy stepped forward as a board member of the Lytton First Nation Economic Development Corporation to lead rebuilding efforts. “Rediscovering my Nation after 30 years wasn’t just about finding home,” he describes, “it was about rediscovering purpose.” He contributed not only real estate and development expertise but also his heart and lived experience, helping restore infrastructure, ceremony, trust, and hope. His efforts brought displaced community members home, fostering resilience and belonging where devastation once reigned.
During this sacred journey, his community honoured Troy with the gift of an ancestral name: Lex7em’ken. It was more than a ceremony — it was a profound welcome home, affirming that he had returned, not just physically, but spiritually. Receiving the name Lex7em’ken recognized his path of service, resilience, and reconnection. His leadership had become rooted not in position or title, but in belonging, ceremony, and deep responsibility to his people and their future.
Troy’s commitment to healing and reconnection extended far beyond his community. In 2024, he helped establish Indigenous Survivors Day-National Blanket Ceremony Day, which are now formally recognized in multiple provinces. These national days of remembrance honour Survivors of the Sixties Scoop, the Millennium Scoop, and the ongoing overrepresentation of Indigenous children in care. They reflect Troy’s profound belief that true reconciliation must not only be spoken — it must be lived, witnessed, and carried through ceremony. Through these days of remembrance and reflection, Troy helped create a sacred space where Survivors are blanketed in belonging, their stories honoured, and their rightful place within their Nations and communities reaffirmed.
Setting the stage at BCIT
Much of this journey — from reconnection to rebuilding — was made possible because of the foundation Troy laid at BCIT. His education provided more than technical skills; it gave him the discipline, mentorship, and self-belief needed to bridge his personal story with his professional calling. It prepared him to manage development projects and build opportunities for healing, resilience, and community renewal. BCIT helped turn possibility into action, and purpose into impact.
Looking back at his days at BCIT, Troy credits a pivotal mentorship with instructor Bill Phillips, who demanded not just success in the classroom but excellence in the real world. “Bill encouraged me to aim higher and to see potential in places others overlooked — not just in my projects, but in myself,” Troy recalls.
One class project stands out as a turning point. Troy remembers Bill pushing him to treat his capstone proposal as though it were being presented to a real client, rather than in the classroom. “He would challenge me on financials, push me to anticipate market conditions, and coach me on presenting with confidence and clarity. He made us feel the industry wasn’t something distant; it was within reach if we rose to meet it,” Troy said.
This rigorous approach instilled a lasting sense of accountability and professionalism in Troy — values he would later carry into rebuilding communities, advancing Indigenous-led developments, and mentoring others. Beyond technical skills, BCIT taught him how to walk into spaces of influence without losing sight of service, discipline, or purpose.
Interested in learning more about how BCIT fosters Indigenous talent and leadership? Visit BCIT Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships to explore resources, programs, and upcoming opportunities.
Recognition that speaks to the heart
Among the many honours Troy has received throughout his career, the BC Achievement Foundation Community Award holds a particularly sacred place in his heart. He received the award during one of the most challenging seasons of his life, deeply immersed in the rebuilding of Lytton, while navigating the personal loss of his biological mother.
“What made this recognition so meaningful was that it wasn’t just about professional achievement. It was about the heart of the work — community renewal, healing, and service.”
Sharing that moment with her before her passing remains one of Troy’s most cherished memories. For him, the award was more than a recognition of professional achievements — it was a homecoming, an affirmation that service to community and the act of return carry their own deep, enduring rewards.
For Troy, awards are not symbols of personal success. They are shared honours — carried with his family, his mentors, and his Nation. They remind him that reconciliation is not something that happens on paper or in policy—it is something lived every day through relationship, responsibility, and the hard, quiet work of building trust.
“After decades apart from my roots, this award felt like affirmation,” Troy states. “It was a reminder that, even in the face of disconnection, we can find ways to come back, serve, and make meaningful contributions.”
Building opportunities for others
Today, Troy’s leadership extends far beyond the boundaries of any one project.
He is deeply committed to creating opportunities for Indigenous youth, advocating for Indigenous inclusion in education and industry, and helping reshape real estate and development sectors to reflect Indigenous knowledge systems and leadership. “My role is to ensure Indigenous people aren’t just invited into rooms but are decision-makers in them,” he explains.
At BCIT and throughout his professional work, Troy strives to help create spaces where Indigenous leadership is not an exception—it is the expectation. He believes that Indigenous students deserve to see themselves reflected not only in the curriculum, but also in leadership, governance, and the decision-making that shape industries and communities alike.
Reconciliation through art, sustainability, and legacy
Troy believes in the promise of reconciliation — a future where respect, belonging, and self-determination are not just spoken about, but are lived realities. “Reconciliation cannot remain an idea confined to speeches or policies,” Troy encourages. “It must be made visible, tangible, and enduring. It must live in the landscapes we walk, the languages that greet us, and the structures that rise around us.”
Throughout his work, Troy has championed visual reconciliation—ensuring Indigenous presence is deeply and permanently woven into our shared public spaces. From Coast Salish welcome figures to the reintroduction of hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ signage, and new architectural expressions in Surrey, Squamish, and Vancouver, he has helped advance projects where Indigenous stories are not hidden but celebrated, not peripheral but foundational.
Troy sees visual reconciliation as a sacred responsibility: transforming cities into living reflections of the land’s true history and rightful stewards. In every project he touches, he works to ensure that Indigenous voices, art, and culture are not added as an afterthought — but are recognized, respected, and prominently celebrated as central pillars of place, memory, and belonging.
Advice for the next generation
When asked what advice he would offer Indigenous students and young professionals, Troy speaks with deep conviction and care. “Walk proudly in your identity. Your cultural teachings and your personal story are leadership tools. Reconciliation isn’t just a job title — it’s a way of being, and you can bring it to any profession. But find community and mentors who will walk with you. You can’t do it alone, and you don’t have to.” And perhaps most importantly, he reminds us that we are not walking alone. “Building community, nurturing relationships, and lifting one another up is not only how resilience is maintained — it is how true, lasting change is made possible.”
A legacy rooted in connection
For Troy, leadership is not about standing above others. It is about walking beside them — building pathways home, restoring ceremony, and planting seeds for those yet to come. Through every step, Troy reminds us that reconciliation is not simply about progress.
It is about relationship. It is about healing. It is about return. One conversation, one project, and one sacred homecoming at a time.
READ MORE: Troy’s story on CTV News.