Josephine was the Executive Director of Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development Organization (CAN-DO). CAN-DO is a community-based nonprofit housing development organization with a mission to create and manage affordable housing in the City of Newton. She was one of the organizing members in 1994 and served as its president until 1999 when she took on the role of executive director until her retirement in 2017. She recently resumed her role as President and Executive Director of the organization. Her community activities include serving as a member of the Community Benefits Committee and the Board of Advisors of Newton Wellesley Hospital. Josephine also serves on both the Newton Fair Housing Committee and the Newton Housing Partnership. She serves as one of the co-chairs of U-CHAN and is on the Mission and Social Commission of the Eliot Church of Newton. Josephine is a lawyer and serves as Vice-President of the Lawyers Committee and as co-treasurer of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association as well as the co-chairperson of the Massachusetts Bar Association Civil Rights and Social Justice Council. She also is a Special Advisor to the American Bar Association Commission on Housing and Poverty.

Chris moved to Newton in 2014 with his wife Kalimah and son Elias. Chris grew up in the Grove Hall section of Dorchester, and received his primary and secondary education in Weston through the M.E.T.C.O program. The 35-minute bus ride from Dorchester to Weston enabled Chris to witness first-hand the contrast in quality of life and inconsistent access to resources.

As parents, Chris and Kalimah discovered the need to find a comprehensive special education program, and Newton Public Schools emerged as a good option. Chris and Kalimah were fortunate to quickly find an affordable living solution in Newton, and successfully transitioned into the community.

Chris was introduced to CAN-DO by Josephine McNeil through the Newton Community of Black Residents. Chris’ interest in affordable housing extends from his understanding of the relationship between housing and quality of life.

As part of a larger picture, Chris believes climate change will be a catalyst for a domestic migration trend that will put significant pressures on many communities if investments aren’t made to accommodate exponential growth driven from displacement.

In terms of his professional background, Chris began his career working in Sales/Business Development for technology companies. After working in the Financial Technology industry, Chris became attracted to the Risk Management side of the business and transitioned to a role in Fraud Investigations in 2010.

Chris enjoys photography, spending time in nature, learning new topics and traveling with his family.

Bob is a Vice President of Commercial Lending at Village Bank in Newton, MA, having spent the previous 30 years in Commercial Banking in the Greater Merrimack Valley. His financing activities have included projects for transitional living centers, housing for victims of domestic abuse as well as affordable housing projects in the Great Merrimack Valley. Community services included past Board Memberships of the Lowell Transitional Living Center, a shelter for homeless single adults in the Merrimack Valley; Girls Inc., an after-school program providing educational programs for girls and most recently as the Treasurer of Lucy’s Love Bus, an organization providing integrative therapies for children with cancer. Bob and his spouse Patti Quigley currently live in Wellesley, MA.

Samantha has been a resident of Newton since December of 2009. She first moved to Newton with her two older sons by way of The Second Step shelter. Samantha was introduced to CAN-DO and Josephine McNeil when she moved into her first apartment in Newton at the Kayla Rosenberg House. Within 2 years, Samantha and her two sons were able to mobilize their Section 8 voucher and move into private housing. Samantha has always kept in contact with CAN-DO and Josephine McNeil, and her family currently lives in a property owned by CAN-DO. Over the course of the last 12 years in Newton, Samantha has married and grown her family with two younger children. After years of focusing on her education, Samantha is now a registered nurse who has worked in geriatrics for the last decade. Her interests are hiking, reading with her kids, finding new ways to give back to her community, and furthering her education. Samantha’s personal experiences navigating the housing system will help CAN-DO develop processes and services that enable low-income Newton residents to thrive as members of the Newton community.

George has been a Newton resident for over 45 years, raising three children, all graduates of Newton schools. His career began teaching middle and high school in Needham for 8 years and then turned to high tech for the next 35 years, most of which was spent in semiconductor sales with Intel and Micron, retiring as Director of Sales. With experience in Saleforce.com George opened a small consulting business in 2015 to assist and advise non-profit organizations in growing their constituencies using Salesforce.com. Clients included METCO and Newton at Home.

George is interested in making a difference in housing insecurity in Newton where his business skills can be useful to CAN-DO. George was introduced to Josephine McNeil and CAN-DO by his spouse, Karen, a volunteer in CAN-DO’s IRS VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program.

George is an active board member of the Thacher & Straitsmouth Island Association in Rockport MA, managing Salesforce.com use and the Island News member communication.

Kathy has been a Newton resident for over five decades, moving here when in graduate school. She received her Bachelor and Master’s degrees from Boston University and was a licensed social worker for over 45 years. In addition, she has certificates in addiction services and dementia care. 

Kathy’s whole career has focused on public service in housing for seniors and the homeless; healthcare; and child welfare. She served as Director of the Cousens Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic and granted over $200,000 in aid to Newton residents during that first year. She’s served on the Newton Fair Housing Committee; the board of Stone Rehabilitation and Senior Living; and was an Adjunct Instructor for BU School of Medicine in pediatrics. In 2023, she received the City of Newton Sheila Mondshein Fair Housing Award.

As a Clinical Social Worker at the Newton Senior Center (now the Cooper Center for Active Living) for 14 years, Kathy provided counseling, advocacy, case management and referrals around mental health, housing, government benefits and community resources. She was the Director of the Cousens Fund for 4 years and worked as a Mobility Mentor for CAN-DO for 2 years. Kathy is deeply committed to serving the residents of Newton in many capacities. 

David is a mission-driven housing leader with more than 30 years of experience advancing affordable housing, community development, and resident services across Massachusetts. He recently joined CAN-DO in 2025, bringing expertise in strategic planning, nonprofit governance, and community-centered development.

David served for over three decades as Executive Director of the Chelmsford Housing Authority, where he transformed a small municipal agency into a nationally recognized leader in public and affordable housing. Under his leadership, the organization expanded housing opportunities significantly, secured hundreds of millions in development and modernization funding, and built innovative programs supporting seniors, families, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. 

He is also Co-Founder of Choice Housing, a mission-driven organization focused on developing inclusive, service-enriched housing throughout the region. Throughout his career, David has been widely recognized for his collaborative leadership style, financial acumen, and commitment to strengthening communities through housing and supportive services. 

David holds an MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, a BA from Clark University, and has also studied at the London School of Economics.