Categories: Network Events
03.06.2014
Network elects Board of Directors, unveils new internship
The Network hosted old friends, announced changes to its Board of Directors and unveiled a very special new internship at its annual meeting on February 27.
More than 150 members of our community gathered at Scandinavia House in Manhattan for the event. Our 2014 annual meeting offered our colleagues a chance to reminisce, network and look toward the upcoming year – all over drinks and hors d’oeuvres from Project Renewal’s Comfort Foods.
To browse a slideshow of recently-opened supportive housing residences featured at the meeting, click here. A slideshow of 100 images from the year in supportive housing can be viewed here.
This year’s event marked several changes to the Network’s Board of Directors. The Network said both farewell and congratulations last week to Shola Olatoye, the new Chairwoman of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Before her appointment into the de Blasio administration, Ms. Olatoye was a Vice President at Enterprise Community Partners and a member of our Board of Directors.
“Shola is just the perfect choice for NYCHA,” Network Executive Director Ted Houghton said at the event. “She knows about development, she knows about vulnerable families, she knows about New York City, she knows about neighborhoods. The mayor is so lucky to have her, and we're lucky to have her.”
We also said goodbye to Alexander Roberts, the Executive Director of Community Housing Innovations and a member of our Board for seven years. Mr. Roberts has helped our community in its efforts to become more energy efficient. Thanks in part to his championing, New York was able to weatherize thousands of supportive housing units over the past five years.
“Alec was talking about going green before just about anybody was,” Mr. Houghton said at the event.
As an addition to our Board, we welcomed Kevin O’Connor, the Executive Director of Joseph’s House & Shelter. Mr. O’Connor was an honoree at our 2013 Awards Gala, accepting the Residence of the Year award for Joseph’s House’s Hill Street Inn. We’re thrilled to have him as the newest member of our Board of Directors.
Our annual meeting culminated with a tribute to Alan Epstein, our dear friend and Board member who passed away last year. Thanks to donations from a large number of Network members, we were able to announce the creation of the Alan Epstein Internship in Supportive Housing. This internship will offer invaluable experience for law students or recent law school graduates interested in our field. For more information on this internship program, see this story. As a partner at Hirschen Singer & Epstein, Alan used his formidable skills to help supportive housing nonprofits develop housing for some of New York’s neediest individuals and families.
To learn more about this internship, read this story.
“We lost our beloved Alan last fall, but through this very special contribution to the education of new lawyers and policy advocates, we know his legacy will live on,” said Rachel Miller, Alan’s wife, last Thursday. “He would have shunned the attention, but he would embrace the purpose of this investment and would be so honored by your tribute.
We'd like to thank everyone who braved the cold and helped make our annual meeting such a memorable night. We look forward to working with you all to preserve and expand supportive housing in 2014.