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.
Wendy Barrientos, Receptionist; ext. 10
wbarrientos@chelseand.org
My name is Wendy Barrientos. I was born in Mazatenango, a small town in Guatemala. I moved to Chelsea when I was 18. I have two boys, Eduardo who is 7 years old and Abraham who is 5, both attend Chelsea Public Schools. I have worked at CND since 2003 and I enjoy the friendly environment that both the office and the city of Chelsea represent.
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 prospective 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!
Janet Stearns, Director of Real Estate/ Corporate Counsel; ext. 18
jstearns@chelseand.org
Janet Stearns joined Chelsea Neighborhood Developers in the fall of 2008 as the Director of Real Estate and Corporate Counsel. Over the past twenty five years, Janet has worked, as a planning director, program manager, consultant and lawyer, on housing and development projects and policies. Janet was a principal of the consulting firm of Stockard Engler Brigham in Cambridge and a lawyer in private practice for ten years with firms in Boston and Cambridge. Janet has worked on affordable housing matters involving extensive work at the local level on specific development projects and land use regulations, to broader policy issues related to state level regulations and strategies to promote mixed income housing and housing for the homeless.
Janet received her B.S. with distinction, from Purdue University, where she was elected to Phi Kappa Phi. She also has a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Public Administration from Purdue University. She received her J.D., with honors, and a certificate in environmental and energy law from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Janet is a frequent guest lecturer at MIT on housing and land use issues.
Emily Loomis, Real Estate Project Manager; 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.
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
John Taylor, Resident Asset Development VISTA; ext. 25
jtaylor@chelseand.org
I joined CND in August 2009 through the AmeriCorps VISTA program, after working as a paralegal at the Boston law firm Goodwin Procter. I graduated from Boston University in 2008 with a BA in Economics and International Relations, and supplemented my coursework through internships with the City of Boston as well as Concern Worldwide, an economic development NGO based in Ireland. I am truly excited to join CND in its efforts to strengthen the community here in Chelsea and to help increase residents’ economic potential through our Resident Asset Development program. Outside of work, I love a good pick-up game of basketball and am hoping to get back into performing music in some capacity.
Cat Dodson Goodrich, Director of Community Engagement; ext. 15 cdodson@chelseand.org
I came to CND in September 2008 after completing a Master of Divinity program at Boston University School of Theology. I grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana and have a BA in Political Science and Religion from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. A candidate for ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA), I’ve worked as an advocate for immigrants and economic justice through internships with the PC(USA) Washington Office and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. Before moving to Boston, I volunteered for a year in Guatemala, and I’m happy to be around so many Spanish speakers again here in Chelsea. The Community Engagement Program offers me a chance to help build relationships between residents that will transform and strengthen this neighborhood through NeighborCircles and other outreach -- fulfilling work with really amazing people.
Samuel Geller, Community Engagement Associate; ext 26; sgeller@chelseand.org
I joined CND through the AmeriCorps VISTA Program after completing my BA in American Cultural Studies from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. While at Bates I served as a Tutor for America Reads and Social Action Coordinator for Bates Hillel. In addition to tutoring and activism, I have also worked with developmentally disabled youth, while working for the Inclusion Program in my hometown of Berkeley, California. After writing my senior thesis on Lewiston’s Town and Gown relations, I became interested in community outreach. What excites me about CND is being part of the community building process by connecting with people and working collaboratively with Chelsea residents. Outside of Community Engagement I enjoy yoga, biking, lacrosse and Boston’s Mexican restaurants.
Tristan Husby, Community Engagement Associate; ext 11; thusby@chelseand.org
I joined CND in 2009 through the AmeriCorps VISTA program after graduating from Connecticut College. While at college, in addition to studying Latin and Ancient Greek, I was involved with on-campus activist efforts, ranging from peace organizing to volunteering at the LGBT center and causes in the city of New London, such as the Homeless Hospitality Center and the New London Green Party. Having grown up in Lexington Massachusetts, I was happy to join CND and use skills that I developed in college to help improve life in Chelsea through the Community Engagement program. In my free time, when I am not getting to know Boston better, I read everything from philosophy to science fiction and occasionally take a hand at writing a little bit myself.
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 tracking foreclosures, building databases and drawing up maps for CND I enjoy hiking, playing Bridge and reading- hopefully in Spanish sometime soon.
