If you ask Shura McGraw what she is most proud of, she will answer without hesitation, “My family.” When asked what she is most proud of in her career, she has a similar answer. Shura spent her adult life prioritizing her family and building her career around them. The beautiful thing that happened along the way was that the people at Team MWA became family as well.
“Shura is amazing. She takes care of everybody. She’s a mom to all of us in the office.”
– Taryn Wheeler, Director of Portland Housing
Finding Her Way
Shura’s career didn’t begin on a straight path. She was 22 when she entered the architecture program at the University of Oregon after a winding journey that included stints at Montana State, the University of Alaska, and community college courses in drafting. It was the intensive summer architecture program at Oregon hooked her. “It was so fun,” she recalls. “I applied, got in, and stuck it out for five years.” Architecture school revealed Shura’s strengths: she loved puzzles, planning, and the precision of technical work. She was less drawn to design, and in hindsight, she sees the seeds of her eventual career in accounting in those early days.
FROM DESIGN TO DUE DILIGENCE
After graduating in 1990, Shura began working in Bay Area architecture firms during a difficult economic downturn. Projects were scarce, and she quickly shifted to due diligence—conducting building inspections for lenders and property buyers. For ten years she climbed ladders, surveyed buildings, and drove across the Bay Area to inspect properties. She thrived on the independence of the work and the freedom it gave her. When her first child Molly was born, Shura strapped her baby into a front carrier and brought her along on site visits. Later, she and her husband Jeff, who by then was growing MWA Architects in San Francisco with Michael Willis, decided it was time to move north to Portland and raise their children with more space and family nearby.
Family First
Once in Portland, Shura stayed home with Molly and their younger son Riley for seven years, a period she describes as “awesome.” Those years were filled with raising children, supporting Jeff’s growing role at MWA, and flipping houses—projects that she describes “kept my hands and mind busy.”
Shura’s focus on family extended beyond her own children. When their daughter Molly befriended a classmate and recognized the opportunity to support her further, Shura and Jeff opened their home, eventually fostering Sierra and expanding their family to five. Sierra’s sister, Italia, joined their family in later years. “To this day, the best part is that all of our kids really get along,” Shura says with pride. Their home became a hub of warmth and welcome, a place where friends and extended family gathered—something she sees as one of her greatest life achievements.
A New Chapter at MWA
Shura’s path into accounting began gradually. She had taken a business class during her last year in architecture school and had been intrigued by finance ever since. When Jeff became immersed in MWA’s Bull Run project, he asked if Shura could help with paperwork and accounting. At the same time, the firm’s accounting department needed long-term support. Shura stepped in, drawing on her knack for detail and problem-solving.
What started as temporary support quickly became a career. For 15 years, Shura anchored MWA’s accounting team, bringing order and steadiness to the Portland office. She leaned on her persistence, accuracy, and willingness to figure things out on her own. “I’m stubborn,” she laughs, “but it serves me well.”
Growth and Resilience
Looking back, Shura sees her time at MWA as a period of growth and resilience. The firm trusted her to make things work, and she rose to the challenge. “I didn’t come from accounting, but I stuck it out, learned it, and built something solid,” she reflects.
She values MWA not only for the work but for the way the firm treats its people. “It proves to me that if you treat people well and give them what they need, they’ll do well,” she says. That philosophy—of generosity, trust, and patience—mirrors her own approach to both work and family.
Moving Forward, grateful and proud
When asked what she is most proud of, Shura confidently states, “my family.” In her career, she takes pride in the accuracy and thoroughness of her work—qualities that shaped MWA’s ability to thrive through transitions. But it is her family, and the life she and Jeff built alongside MWA, that she carries closest to her heart.
MWA, in turn, has been central to her story. The firm shaped her professional path, gave her the flexibility to care for her children and her mother when they needed her most, and provided a community of colleagues who became like extended family.
Looking Ahead
As Shura steps into retirement, her plans reflect the same themes that guided her career: family, service, and purpose. She enjoys volunteering at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, tackling house projects, traveling, and, of course, spending time with her children and friends.
Her advice for people just beginning their careers is, “Don’t stick with something you don’t like. There’s always something you can find that fits. But sometimes, you just have to work hard, even when it’s not fun. And always—be kind.”
After 15 years with MWA, Shura feels confident that the accounting team is ready for her to hand over the reins. As she steps into retirement, our firm remembers and appreciates her dedication and compassion the most. Her story reminds us that a career is never just about work—it’s about family, community, and the life you build along the way.