CND Staff
Ann Houston, Executive Director; ext. 12
ahouston@chelseand.org
Chelsea is an exciting cosmopolitan city with great potential to do interesting work in a community committed to revitalization. I began work in Chelsea in 2004, taking over after a period of reorganization sparked by a Board of Directors dedicated to creating more housing opportunities in Chelsea. My work in affordable housing and community development began more than 25 years ago. I learned my trade and developed a broad network of colleagues by working in leadership positions at Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Codman Square NDC, Valley Opportunity Council in Chicopee and Holyoke, and as a residential and commercial lender for Mass Development/Mass Government Land Bank. I enjoy lecturing and serve on numerous boards and policy committees; currently I serve as President of Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA). I earned a masters in Real Estate Development from MIT, and a BA in Community Planning from UMass Boston.
David Keene, Director of Finance and Operations; ext. 13
dkeene@chelseand.org
My involvement with affordable housing is both personal and economic, at first by accident and later by design. I worked with affordable housing as a senior property accountant for national real estate syndictor, Boston Financial now MMA financial. During this time I continued my education at night at Northeastern University, where I earned my degree in Business Administration. It was here, at Boston Financial, that I began to learn the complexity involved in owning and running multi-family affordable housing. With this experience my next choice of employment was Abrams Management Co., a local developer/owner/manager of affordable housing. As a Controller I was responsible for management and development accounting for several properties totaling approximately 1,400 units. I next went on to join Beacon/Corcoran Jennison Partners as the Development Controller. Here I developed the accounting systems and requisition processes for three HOPE VI projects. In 2001 I joined Maloney Properties, a New England based management company specializing in mixed income housing. I was responsible for the accounting of over 100 properties and 8,000 units of housing. In 2007 Chelsea Neighborhood Developers invited me to join their development and finance committees. This quickly led to the opportunity I now enjoy as Chief Financial Officer. My experience with many affordable housing programs, being born in Chelsea and growing up in affordable housing in Chelsea gives me a unique perspective and makes this job especially rewarding and enjoyable. My wife and I are homeowners just blocks from where I grew up.
Nadhia Ojeda, Office Manager & Bookkeeper; ext. 14
nojeda@chelseand.org
I was born in Ciudad Guzman Jalisco, Mexico. I grew up in a very loving family with strong moral values. After finishing high school, I moved to Guadalajara, Mexico to study at ITESO University. After obtaining my degree in business administration, I moved to Boston and started working at the Consulate General of Mexico as Administrator. I began working at CND as the Office Manager/Bookkeeper in February 07. I am a very energetic person with a cheery disposition who is always willing to help others. I live in Chelsea and I love it here!
Katia Matos, Receptionist and Administrative Assistant; ext. 10
kmatos@chelseand.org
I was born in San Cristóbal raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. I am the fourth youngest out of 11 brothers and sisters, so yes I can say I come from a large family. Despite the differences we all have till this day we go by what our parents taught us: “Smile to everyone today because you never know who can smile to you tomorrow- work hard in life and you will get what you deserve.” While going to high school at Politecnico Simon Orozco, I worked in Language Line Services as a 911 bilingual Interpreter. After finishing my culinary program I decided to move to Massachusetts in 2007, where I expanded my work history starting off at Verizon Communication as a Sales Rep. Later down the road I worked for American Student Assistance (ASA) as a Wellness Counselor. I decided to move on from the call center environment and worked for Signature Breads Inc. as an administrative assistant, there I learned what teamwork really is. While deciding to go back and finish my degree in Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management I joined CND in spring of 2011. I can seriously say that I love my job and the people I work with! I have never lived in Chelsea but after seeing all the positive things this city has to offer, and how CND has helped out, I’m even considering moving here.
Emily Loomis, Director of Real Estate Development; ext. 23
eloomis@chelseand.org
I joined CND in August 2008, after spending three years as an affordable housing project manager at the Lower Cape Cod CDC. While at Lower Cape, I managed an affordable condominium development from permitting through sale, and managed a number of rental, rehab, and new construction projects in various stages of development. Prior to that, I attended Vassar College, where I majored in Geography and tailored my studies to housing and community development. During college, I interned as a community organizer at WATCH CDC in Waltham, and also worked with squatters on New York’s Lower East Side to write my thesis on their history of housing activism. I am excited to be at CND and to contribute to building healthy neighborhoods in this diverse and vibrant city.
James Bill, Real Estate Project Manager; ext. 22
jbill@chelseand.org
I grew up in the Washington, DC area, but have called Boston my home since arriving here after college to pursue a passion for architecture. After studying at the Boston Architectural College, I spent over a decade ‘in the field’ gaining experience in a handful of real estate related disciplines, including design, construction administration, contracting and construction management, marketing and sales as well as property management. In 2009 I received a Masters of Real Estate Development from Columbia University, a finance-based program which proved the ideal compliment to my experience on the physical side of real estate. I am truly excited to be working with CND’s real estate team on the important mission of creating healthy and sustainable neighborhoods in Chelsea, a city I reside in and have grown to love.
Aaron Wasserman, Junior Project Manager; ext 19
awasserman@chelseand.org
I began working at Chelsea Neighborhood Developers in spring 2011, after graduating from the Harvard Graduate School of Design with a master’s degree in urban planning. In graduate school, I studied real estate and community development and wanted to join CND because of its comprehensive approach to neighborhood development. Prior to coming here, I worked at the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and as a reporter at two daily newspapers in metro Boston, covering local and state government. In 2005, I received my bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and since then have lived in Boston, a wonderful place to be.
Marissa Guananja, Director of Resident Asset Development;ext. 20 mguananja@chelseand.org
I received my undergraduate degree from Mount St. Mary’s College (Los Angeles, CA) and my Master’s of Public Policy from The George Washington University in 2005. At GW, I participated in research on the role that collective remittances play in development in El Salvador. While in Washington, I worked at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation analyzing high-performing homeownership programs. I also worked at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy which shares my commitment to work toward social and economic justice for disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations and communities. As the Director of Resident Asset Building here at CND, I manage the Financial Literacy courses and the Individual Development Account program. I currently serve on the Advocacy and Legislative Organizing Committee of MACDC, and on the Financial Education and Communications Committees of the FDIC’s Boston Alliance for Economic Inclusion and enjoy a game of soccer in what little time I have to myself.
Carol Rijo, Resident Asset Building Associate; ext. 16
crijo@chelseand.org
I immigrated to the United States in 1994 and have been a Chelsea resident ever since. I graduated from Chelsea High School in 2004 and attended Boston College where I received a BA in Sociology and Latin American Studies. I joined CND in July 2008 very excited to work in the city that has seen me grow. I enjoy the time spent with the many residents that come through the door and their willingness to learn what is necessary to achieve their goals and dreams. CND has played a major role in the changes that Chelsea has seen and will continue to see and I am glad to be part of such a great team. When I’m not in the office I enjoy spending time with my two dogs, visiting family in the Dominican Republic, and dancing.
Matthew Robayna, Resident Asset Building VISTA; ext. 25
mrobayna@chelseand.org
I was born and raised in Miami, FL, but I recently transplanted to Boston to serve a year as an Americorps VISTA in Resident Asset Development here at CND. I recently completed my BA at the University of Miami (Go Hurricanes!) with a concentration in Political Science and minors in Urban Studies, Finance & Chemistry. While at UM, I worked closely with the Butler Center for Service and Leadership through numerous programs and organizations, introducing students to the concepts of social justice, active citizenship and servant leadership. In my free time, I love to travel and explore new places. I’m excited for my time in Chelsea and Boston and hope to learn tons from the people I am working with!
Lauren Coy, Resident Asset Development, LISC Americorps; ext. 28
lcoy@chelseand.org
Originally from Miami, Florida, I moved to Massachusetts to attend Tufts University in 2007. I graduated this past spring with a double degree in Psychology and Community Health, and was lucky enough to secure a LISC Americorps position shortly afterward. My background and passion for community and public health has helped me to better understand the populations I serve here at Chelsea, and I’m loving every minute of it. I’m thrilled to be working with such dedicated and knowledgeable people, and I can’t wait to see what the year has in store. In my free time, I can be found obsessively watching movies, trying to learn how to cook more than just pasta, and frequenting used book stores.
Rachel Meketon, Revere Community Engagement Associate; ext 11
rmeketon@chelseand.org
I grew up in Philadelphia, but have been living in Massachusetts since 2005, when I began studying at Amherst College. My interest in community engagement stems from my time at Amherst as an Anthropology major and campus political organizer. In 2010, I moved to Chelsea to spend a year volunteering at Phoenix Charter Academy as an AmeriCorps Urban Fellow. At Phoenix, in addition to teaching, I coordinated a community revitalization project and led an attendance program that included meeting regularly with families in Chelsea, Everett and Revere. I am excited to continue working in the same neighborhoods, but in a new capacity.
Magdalene Brea, Community Engagement Associate; ext. 26
mbrea@chelseand.org
I was born and raised in Boston, MA, and am the second youngest of six children. I come from a very loving Latino-family where my mother always instilled in us the value of self-respect and determination. After graduating from high school, I attended Regis College where I received a BA in Political Science/International Business with a concentration in Public Policy. As a college student I interned in my community at Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation (NCDC). I worked with various departments including the Community Relations Team, External Affairs Department and Resident Support Services. Upon graduation I was an employee for Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) where I worked with NCDC in Boston. Immediately after the completion of my VISTA term, NCDC hired me as a consultant. During my years at NCDC I provided support services to their tenants and neighboring communities in the Greater Boston area such as Roxbury, Mattapan, South End and Dorchester. Having lived in the same community for 24+ years, I have seen many positive changes in my community and the impact it has had among the residents and the quality of life in their community. Therefore, I am very excited to be part of such an exciting team at CND; I look forward to assisting with the numerous initiatives CND is developing for the residents of Chelsea and their community.
Phoebe Mayor, Community Engagement VISTA; ext. 15
pmayor@chelseand.org
Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, I attended Smith College for the past four years, graduating with a B.A. in Dance and Anthropology in May 2011. In my last year of college, I worked in Springfield, Massachusetts with the organization No One Leaves to support tenants in their fight against foreclosure. I was so energized by the way in which I saw neighbors supporting one another and taking action. I am excited to continue doing similar neighborhood revitalization work with Chelsea Neighborhood Developers by engaging the community members of Chelsea to create positive change through social and civic community events. One of my main projects for the year is to expand the after school program started at CND’s Spencer Green property in order to engage and support youth in the community.
George Reuter, Special Projects Associate; ext. 21
greuter@chelseand.org
I joined CND in November 2008 after interning at LISC’s Green Development Center. Born and raised in small town Oregon, I made the great leap east to attend Haverford College just outside of Philadelphia, where I studied Philosophy and Ancient Greek. After graduating in 2008, I headed north to Boston to pursue work in community development. When I’m not writing grants, building databases and drawing up maps for CND I enjoy hiking, playing Bridge and a good book.
