March 15, 2013
MBHP Honors Kate Cahalane as the Inaugural Awardee of the Lowell Richards Fellowship
for Leadership and Public Service; Fellowship to be hosted by Massport
BOSTON- The Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership is proud to announce the inauguration
of the Lowell L. Richards, III Fellowship for Leadership and Public Service, created in honor
of the longtime Co-Chairman of its Board of Directors and his twenty-nine year dedication to
MBHP’s mission. Today, March 15, was Lowell Richards’ birthday. He passed away in February
of 2012.
In this first year, MBHP is awarding the fellowship to Kate Cahalane, a Hanover, MA resident
and graduating senior at the University of Vermont. The fellowship, an eight week internship
beginning in June, is being hosted by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport). Cahalane
will be working in their Economic Planning and Development department, where Richards served
as Director for more than ten years. The fellowship’s goal is to encourage young leaders to pursue
a career in public service, specifically in urban development, and issues related to affordable
housing.
Ms. Cahalane was chosen for her leadership skills and experience, along with her academic
excellence and passion for public service. She is thrilled to be chosen for the fellowship. “It is an
incredible honor to receive the Lowell Richards Fellowship, and I am very much looking forward
to working with Massport and MBHP in the coming months,” said Cahalane. “This fellowship
will honor Mr. Richards in a very special way by continuing to promote the kinds of projects to
which he was so deeply committed.” After the fellowship, Cahalane plans to become a member
of Americorps and eventually earn her masters degree in urban planning.
For this inaugural year, fellowship nominees were chosen from students taking part in the Boston
and Vermont-based DREAM Project, a youth mentoring program which Lowell was passionate
about. Cahalane’s exemplary work as a youth mentor in DREAM factored heavily in her being
awarded the fellowship.
Michael Foote, one of DREAM’s founders and a relative of Lowell, is overjoyed by DREAM’s
participation in the fellowship. It was Lowell who provided mentorship to Michael and helped
him launch the fledgling organization. “Lowell believed in DREAM’s mission, which is to
provide mentors and new opportunities for some of the most vulnerable youth in Boston,” says
Foote. “My hope is that through this Fellowship and by drawing on DREAM college student mentors who have a passion for social justice, affordable housing, and urban development, we
can continue Lowell’s work in mentoring young civically-minded leaders.”
It is fitting that the first Lowell Richards Fellow should be hosted by Massport, as Lowell gave so
much of this time, experience and wisdom to the organization over the years. “We are very
pleased to be the host site for the first fellow of the Lowell Richards Fellowship,” says Jim
Doolin, acting Chief Development Officer at Massport. “Lowell was a visionary leader, city
builder, and dedicated to public service.”
Karen Richards, Lowell’s wife, has been heavily involved in the conception of the fellowship and
is grateful her husband’s legacy will live on through assisting in the education and career of
students. “The thing Lowell cared most about in the world was helping young people,” says
Karen. “If there was a young person in the room, he wanted to know them, listen to them, and
encourage them. Through the Fellowship, Lowell has brought MBHP, Massport and DREAM
together to launch the next generation of ‘bright young leaders’ in public service.”
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MBHP is the state’s largest regional provider of rental housing voucher assistance. We serve
homeless, elderly, disabled, and low- and moderate-income individuals and families. Our region
spans Boston and 29 surrounding communities. Our mission is to ensure that the region’s low-
and moderate-income individuals and families have choice and mobility in finding and retaining
decent affordable housing; all of our programs and initiatives are designed to encourage housing
stability, increase economic self-sufficiency, and enhance quality of the lives of those we
serve. To achieve our mission and to promote efficient service delivery, we work collaboratively
with a broad array of service providers and neighborhood-based organizations.