Past Honorees

2023

Honoree: Richard Muraida, SVP & Regional Manager, Rockland Trust

Rick Muraida has more than thirty-five years of leadership experience in Boston’s competitive commercial banking community. He currently heads up the Boston and Providence commercial lending regions and the affordable housing lending and investment business at Rockland Trust Company. Complex debt and equity structuring and re-structuring during periods of extreme economic distress and expansion is his expertise. Prior to joining Rockland Trust, Rick held senior level positions at Boston Private Bank, Eastern Bank, Fleet Bank and Bank of Boston.

Reflecting his advocacy for economic development and affordable housing in the Greater Boston area, and his background and love for music and the arts, Rick is a long-term board member of the following organizations:

• Vice Chair/Board of Directors, Community Economic Development Assistance Corp. (CEDAC), appointed by Governors Weld, Cellucci, Romney and Patrick
• Board of Directors, MetroHousing|Boston
• Board of Directors, Downtown Boston Business Improvement District
• Board of Directors, Boston Municipal Research Bureau
• Member, Loan Committee, Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund (MHP)
• Member, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)
• Member, Affordable Housing Investors Council (AHIC)
• Board of Advisors, Boston Symphony Orchestra

In addition, he previously chaired the Investment and Loan Committees at the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corp.

Rick is a classically trained clarinetist and has performed professionally with a number of orchestras including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops. He holds two degrees in clarinet performance from the Boston University School of Music and completed the MIT Center for Real Estate Minority Developers Executive Program and the LeadBoston program.

2022

Honoree: Dara Kovel, Chief Executive Officer, Beacon Communities LLC

Dara Kovel is the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Communities LLC, a multi-family housing development, investment, and management company with properties throughout New England, New York, and the eastern seaboard. The company currently owns over 150 communities with more than 18,000 units of housing, with a wide variety of affordable, mixed income and mixed-use projects. Beacon has over 50 years of history creating and maintaining award-winning residential communities that serve a diverse cross-section of society that make enduring contributions to the vitality of the cities and towns where they are located.

Dara began at Beacon in 2015 as President of Beacon Communities Development LLC, overseeing the all development activities for Beacon Communities. Dara has been actively involved in the development of affordable housing her whole career. Prior to her joining Beacon, she was Vice President and Chief Housing Officer at the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) where she oversaw all multifamily lending and tax credit allocation activities, as well as the homeownership programs.

Before working at CHFA, Dara ran the New England office of Jonathan Rose Companies, a New York-based, green, real estate development and investment company. Her previous work was with Mercy Housing California, where she ran the Southern California office and developed affordable housing throughout the state of California.

Dara currently serves on the Urban Land Institute’s Terwilliger Center’s Workforce Housing Board and Boston Advisory Board, the CHAPA Board, the Housing Navigator and the Home Connecticut Steering Committee. She holds a BA and MBA from Yale University.

2021

Honoree: Kenan Bigby, Managing Director, Trinity Financial, Inc.

Kenan Bigby joined Trinity Financial in 2001 and is the Managing Director of Development for the company. He has a wealth of experience in multi-family housing development. During Mr. Bigby’s tenure at Trinity he has managed over $1 billion in development for the company, representing more than 2,500 units of housing. He enjoys an excellent rapport with local, state and federal agencies and with the communities in which he has worked. He has an aptitude for creating successful public/private partnerships and exhibits a strong ability to manage the complex financial structures needed to complete large scale development projects.

Mr. Bigby has managed several award winning developments for the company including Newport Heights in Newport, RI recipient of “Builder of the Year” recognition from Energy Star Homes and a finalist for “Best Family Project” from Affordable Housing Finance Magazine, Trinity Terrace in Dorchester, MA recipient of the HUD HOME “Door Knocker Award”, Randolph Houses in Harlem, NY recipient of the “Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award” from the New York Landmarks Conservancy and the “Excellence in Historic Preservation Award” from the Preservation League of New York State. Most recently, Mr. Bigby is proud to have contributed to Trinity Financial’s recognition as “Developer of the Year” by the New York Housing Conference for 2020.

Mr. Bigby sits on several Boards of Directors, including the Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) where he is active on the Policy Leadership Council focused on advocating for comprehensive and equitable housing polices, HomeStart focused on preventing and combatting homelessness, and the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA) with a current focus on increasing diversity, equity and inclusion within the commercial real estate field.

Prior to joining Trinity, Mr. Bigby worked in the field of affordable housing development and management. He worked in various capacities for Boston area nonprofit organizations where his responsibilities included the management of several supported housing programs as well as property oversight ensuring compliance with state and federal housing quality standards.

Mr. Bigby holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

2020

Honoree: Richard J. Henken, President, The Schochet Companies

Richard Henken officially joined The Schochet Companies as its Executive Vice President in 1997, after having been affiliated with, and an advisor to, the company for more than a decade. In 2004, Mr. Henken became President of Schochet Companies including Schochet Development, Schochet Investments, and Schochet Property Management. Since joining the company Mr. Henken has been responsible for closing transactions with a total value in excess of $400 million, including the acquisition and preservation as affordable of over 2,800 apartments in sixteen developments.

Mr. Henken earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Economics from Tufts University, and a Master of Science degree in Management, with concentrations in Marketing and Finance, from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. Prior to joining The Schochet Companies, Mr. Henken was a marketing and strategy consultant to Fortune 500 companies and held senior marketing positions in the financial services and consumer packaged goods industries.

Mr. Henken sits on several Boards of Directors, including the Catholic Schools Foundation Inner City Scholarship Fund where he is past President; the Rental Housing Association of Greater Boston Real Estate Board (GBREB) where he is past President, past chair of the Affordable Housing Committee, and past Chairman of GBREB; Hebrew Senior Life, where he cochairs its Senior Living Committee; B’nai B’rith Housing; the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University; Jewish Family Services of Metrowest; New Lease for Homeless Families; and Discovering Justice. He is a member of the Economics Advisory Board of the Tufts Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Rick received the 2011 Distinguished Service Award of the Tufts University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; and was the 2012 recipient of the Retirement Housing Foundation Friend of the Elderly Award; the 2012 B’nai B’rith Housing Distinguished Achievement Award; and the 2017 Rental Housing Association President’s Award for Industry Excellence.

2019

Honoree: Chrystal Kornegay, Executive Director, MassHousing

Chrystal’s passion for creating projects and programs that result in stronger communities for modest-income working families is evidenced throughout her 20+ years’ experience in community development. Chrystal currently serves as the Executive Director of MassHousing. Before joining MassHousing in February 2018, she served as the Baker-Polito Administration’s Undersecretary for Housing and Community Development. Prior to that, she was Urban Edge’s President and Chief Executive Officer and an active member of MACDC. Chrystal brings to state government a deep understanding of affordable housing finance and the nuances of resident-led community development.

Since entering public service, Chrystal has used her experience, expertise and tenacity to advance several important priorities. Since FY 2015, the Baker Administration has increased state capital dollars for affordable housing by almost 18% and worked with the legislature to increase rental subsidies for low income families by 42%. Chrystal has worked collaboratively to launch a $100 million workforce housing initiative; collaborated with partners in state government and the nonprofit sector to dramatically reduce the number of homeless families in motels; launched the Community Scale Housing Initiative; partnered with the Mel King Institute to provide leadership training to resident board commissioners serving on local housing authorities; and worked to streamline and grow the Community Investment Tax Credit program.

Chrystal is a graduate of the Achieving Excellence Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts from Hunter College.

2018

Honoree: Robert F. Rivers, Chair and CEO, Eastern Bank

Bob is Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Bank, America’s oldest and largest mutual bank and the largest independent community bank headquartered in Massachusetts, with $11 billion in assets and over 120 locations.

Bob is involved extensively in the community, serving on the Board of Directors of The Dimock Center, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Jobs for Mass, and The Lowell Plan. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees of Stonehill College, the Northern Essex Community College Foundation, the Board of Corporators of Lowell General Hospital, the Advisory Boards of the Lawrence Partnership and JFK Library Foundation, and is a member of the City of Boston’s Women’s Workforce Council, Environmental League of Massachusetts’ Corporate Council, and ALPFA Boston’s Corporate Advisory Board, in addition to providing support and guidance to numerous other nonprofit organizations.

Named after the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Bob’s passion for advocating for social justice causes and sustainability issues is the result of a personal and professional journey that began early in his life. Bob was recently ranked among the top 10 “Most Influential People in Boston” by Boston Magazine, and has been recognized by The Boston Globe, Boston Business Journal, The Partnership, Get Konnected!, Color Magazine, the Massachusetts Immigration & Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, Asian American Civic Association (AACA), Association for Latino Professionals in Finance & Accounting (ALPFA), El Planeta, the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, The Theater Offensive, The Ad Club, and MassINC for his work in championing diversity and social justice.

2017

Honorees: John W. Keith – CEO, Keith Construction, Inc. and Keith Properties and Shelley I. Hoon Keith – CEO, Hoon Construction Services Inc.

John Keith is a leader in the affordable and mixed-income housing real estate construction, management and development industries.

Shelley Hoon Keith is a real estate entrepreneur who has been noted for her interior designs, interior contraction and ability to enhance real estate values. Shelley’s earlier career has been marked by studies and work in community and regional planning with a focus on affordable housing and community development.

Shelley and John share a strong commitment to issues of social justice and are committed to the mission of the Lawyer Clearinghouse, to connect people and nonprofit organizations in need with pro bono legal services, to promote access to justice, strengthen communities, and all the while working to end homelessness.

2016

Honoree: Michael W. Fish – President, Dellbrook | JKS

Mike is the co-founder of Dellbrook Construction, along with his father, the late Edward Fish. Dellbrook is one of the fastest growing construction companies in the Northeast, taking projects from initial concept, planning, construction, and management, to close-out. The company’s portfolio includes projects in education, healthcare, mixed use, residential, and historic preservation. Mike and Dellbrook have been recognized for both their commitment to excellence in construction and for their involvement in the charitable sector.
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Guest Speaker: Timothy C. Sullivan – Executive Director, MassHousing

Tim Sullivan was named MassHousing’s Executive Director after more than 15 years as the Agency’s Deputy Director, Director of Rental Lending and Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Sullivan has held a number of senior budget and finance positions in Massachusetts government including State Budget Director; Director of Finance for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; and Deputy Chief Financial Officer (Director of Financial Affairs for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project) for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. He also served in transitional budget capacities for Governor Patrick and Governor Baker.

2015

Honoree: Thomas Gleason – Executive Director, MassHousing

Tom is a career housing professional with more than 37 years of experience in mortgage lending, community development and bond finance. He has served as MassHousing’s Executive Director since 2001. He sits on a number of boards and is currently the President of the Board of the National Council of State Housing Agencies.

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Guest Speaker: Rep. Kevin G. Honan – Massachusetts State Representative
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Rep. Kevin Honan has dedicated his career to public service. He has been a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives since 1987, representing the Seventeenth Suffolk district. Since 2003 he has served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, which considers all matters concerning Chapter 40B housing, housing (generally), subdivision control, and condominium laws.
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2014

Honoree: Amy Anthony – President and Chief Executive Officer, Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH)

As one of the nation’s foremost experts in housing finance and policy, Amy Anthony has been active in the industry on both the state and national level for more than 30 years. Amy was a founding member of the Multifamily Housing Institute and has also served on Fannie Mae’s Housing Impact Advisory Council and the Freddie Mac Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. She has served on numerous boards, including the National Equity Fund, the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development, and Homes for America. She currently serves on the board of Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA). In 2011, Amy Anthony was inducted into the Affordable Housing Finance magazine “Affordable Housing Hall of Fame.”

Guest Speaker: Michael S. Dukakis – Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (1975-1979, 1983-1991)

Michael Dukakis is the longest-serving Governor in Massachusetts history and was the Democratic Party Nominee for President of the United States in 1988. Today, Dukakis is a professor of political science at Northeastern University in Boston.

In 1983, during his second term as Governor, Dukakis appointed Amy Anthony the Secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Communities and Development, a $600 million cabinet-level state agency devoted to producing affordable housing and promoting municipal, community, and economic development.

2013

Larry Curtis – President and Managing Partner, WinnDevelopment

For more than 25 years, Larry Curtis has been a leader in the challenging work of building affordable housing in Massachusetts. Larry has led a wide range of real estate development and acquisition activities throughout his career, during which he maintained a primary focus on historic rehabilitation and adaptive re-use development projects, as well as the creation of affordable housing. In addition to his work in the development of affordable housing, he also co-founded New Lease, a non-profit based in Boston that provides a clearinghouse of affordable housing units for families staying in state-funded shelters and motels throughout Massachusetts.

Catherine Racer – Associate Director, Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development

Kate Racer serves as an Associate Director of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Prior to joining the Department, Kate served as the director of the state’s affordable homeownership program and was special assistant to the Governor’s Cabinet Secretary for housing. In addition to her work for the Department of Housing & Community Development, Kate also serves on the Board of the Washington Council of State Community Development Agencies, as well as the Board of the Massachusetts Community Partnership Fund.

2011

The following four people were honored for their joint leadership and successful efforts to protect the affordable housing law in the Commonwealth.

Ellen Feingold – Former President, Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly

Ellen Feingold retired from her role as president of Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly (JCHE) in 2010, after nearly 30 years of service. Prior to her work at the JCHE, Ellen was the director of the Departmental Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Transportation and received a number of appointments to advisory committees focusing on affordable housing and civil rights. She is also a founding member of Hearth, Inc. and the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), where she served as board president from 1998 to 2000.

As the undersecretary of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Aaron Gornstein works to administer nearly $1 billion in state and federal funding to affordable housing, community development, energy conservation and other programs. He also advises the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development and the Governor on housing policy and is the chairman of the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, which works with nonprofit developers of affordable housing. Prior to joining DHCD, Aaron served as the Executive Director of the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) from 1990 to January 2012.

Tripp Jones is a managing director of New Profit, a nonprofit that provides funding to social entrepreneurs. The organization seeks to create lasting social change by providing the resources entrepreneurs and nonprofits need to have an impact. Prior to joining New Profit, Tripp served as the executive vice president and chief administrative officer at The MENTOR Network, a national network focused on serving adults and children with disabilities. Tripp also co-founded and served as the executive director of the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC), a think tank committed to developing policies that support the middle class.

Through her consulting firm, Rowe Resources, Cindy Rowe provides consulting services to nonprofit organizations, community affairs departments and government agencies in matters of fundraising, conference planning and management. She has worked with over fifty organizations, including the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC) and the Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP). Prior to starting her own consulting firm, Cindy managed a statewide political campaign and worked on policy and community affairs for the state government. She also serves on the board of the Lawyers Clearinghouse.

2010

Joseph L. Flatley – President and Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation

Joe Flatley joined the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) in 1990, serving as its first president. Under Joe’s leadership, MHIC has invested over $1.13 billion to finance affordable housing and community development throughout Massachusetts. Joe has more than 30 years of experience in housing and community development. Before joining MHIC, he served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP). Earlier in his career, over a period of 17 years, Joe served in a number of high-level positions in state government. He serves as Chairman of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders (NAAHL), and on the Board of Directors of the National Housing Conference (NHC), Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), the Mayor’s Housing Advisory Committee and the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC).

2009

Esther Schlorholtz – Director of Community Investment and Senior Vice President, Boston Private Bank & Trust Company

As the director of Boston Private Bank’s Community Investment Program, Esther is responsible for overseeing the bank’s involvement in community development by organizing educational programs, originating affordable housing and community development loans, and managing charitable giving. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC), Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership (MBHP), and Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), and is involved in a number of committees related to affordable housing and communities. In the past, Esther was a member of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s Leading the Way II and III committees, where she provided her expertise on affordable housing strategies.

2008

Stephen Nolan – Partner, Nolan Sheehan Patten LLP

As a partner at Nolan Sheenan Patten LLP, Steve Nolan works in the areas of affordable housing and community development. He has helped secure funding for numerous community organizations. Prior to founding Nolan Sheehan Patten, Steve was a partner at DLA Piper LLP (US) in Boston and at Hill & Barlow, P.C. in Boston. He also clerked for Chief Judge Levin Campbell of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Nolan is a board member of the Lawyers Clearinghouse and served as board president from 2000 to 2005.