BOSTON, MA – October 18, 2018 – Metro Housing|Boston, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating and preventing homelessness in Boston for the past 35 years, announced plans for its newly branded signature event, CHAMPIONS of HOUSING on Thursday, November 1, 2018. Co-chairing the event are Katy O’Neil, Vice-President, Business Development & Client Relations, Northeast of Suffolk, and Josef Rettman, Managing Principal of NEI General Contracting. The event, presented by Bank of America, attracts more than 300 attendees and will be held at John Hancock Financial in Boston’s Seaport district.
Metro Housing will honor the accomplishments of four leaders who share its passion and commitment to ensuring that everyone in Greater Boston has a place to call home. The honorees are Donald Conover of Conover & Associates, LLC, Patricia Flaherty of Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services, Leslie Reid of Madison Park Development Corporation, and Eric Shupin of Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association.
The evening will include a reception featuring celebrity chef, Anthony Ambrose and a live auction. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about the impact of Metro Housing|Boston programs on the more than 25,000 families they serve annually and about opportunities for individuals and organizations to partner with them to help keep Greater Boston families and individuals in homes they can afford. A wide range of attendees is expected, including developers, policy-makers, affordable housing advocates, academic researchers, and many in the media, law, finance and philanthropic sectors.
Metro Housing|Boston will present The Lowell Richards Award to Donald Conover. Donald was a member of Metro Housing’s Board of Directors from 2010-2012 and was the Chair of the Building on Mission Capital Campaign that contributed to the construction of Metro Housing’s new office in Roxbury Crossing. He was an Executive Vice President at State Street Corporation, where he worked for 14 years. He currently operates Conover & Associates LLC, a consulting firm providing strategic advice on global real estate matters.
The Housing Hall of Fame recipient is Patricia Flaherty, the Executive Director of Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services. Pat has over 30 years of extensive community planning and development experience working in the Mission Hill community. Ms. Flaherty directed the implementation of the Parcel 25 Community Planning and Development Initiative that resulted in a $100 million redevelopment plan. The full development of Parcel 25 will result in affordable housing for low and moderate income residents, neighborhood-serving retail, and professional office space, including the new home of Metro Housing.
The Rising Star Awardees are Leslie Reid, Vice President of Programs of Madison Park Development Corporation and Eric Shupin, Director of Public Policy for Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association (CHAPA). Leslie has dedicated her nearly 25 year career to affordable housing, commercial and community development, in both the private, public and non-profit sectors. She is the Vice President of Programs at Madison Park Development Corporation, which is among the oldest and largest community development corporations in Massachusetts. Eric joined the Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association (CHAPA) in 2013 and has served as its Director of Public Policy since 2016. At CHAPA, he is responsible for directing CHAPA’s state policy advocacy agenda which includes proposing and promoting legislation and polices that lead to the production and preservation of affordable housing.
“Metro Housing|Boston’s 35-year commitment to providing affordable housing in Greater Boston enables us to remain focused on providing exemplary service to everyone who comes to us for help with their housing concerns,” said Christopher Norris, Executive Director, Metro Housing|Boston. “CHAMPIONS of HOUSING gives us an opportunity to celebrate affordable housing champions while examining the challenges ahead. We look forward to honoring the best and the brightest and are excited to celebrate this achievement with Boston’s extraordinarily diverse community.”
“We are so grateful to our donors, sponsors, and supporters who help make the work of Metro Housing|Boston possible over the past 35 years,” added Norris.
Tickets are $250 per person and can be purchased by visiting bit.ly/COH_18. For more information about the event, contact event producer AJ Williams at AJ Williams Events (617) 267-2244 / aj@ajwilliamsevents.com.
About Metro Housing|Boston
Serving more than 25,000 households annually, Metro Housing|Boston is dedicated to mobilizing wide-ranging resources to provide innovative and personalized services that lead families to housing stability, economic security and an improved quality of life. With 35 years’ experience piloting and implementing housing programs, it has solidified their position as an industry-leading expert on navigating the affordable housing field. Metro Housing|Boston is committed to making sure that every person in Greater Boston will always have a place to call home.
Visit www.metrohousingboston.org, facebook.com/MetroHousingBoston, or follow on Twitter at @MetroHousingBos. For more information, contact Jeff Landis, Metro Housing|Boston at (617) 425-6691 / Jeff.Landis@metrohousingboston.org.