TND Celebrates Community Impact and Leadership at Annual Meeting

The Neighborhood Developers (TND) recently hosted their 2026 Annual Meeting, bringing together residents, partners, and community leaders to celebrate a year of significant achievements in neighborhood investment and leadership across Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Malden, and Lynn.

Under the theme "Community Pillars," the event showcased TND's progress in advancing affordable housing projects, notably the 170 Cottage Street development in Chelsea. This project, expected to be completed by summer 2026, will offer 66 rental apartments adjacent to the Chelsea Greenway, providing residents with convenient access to transportation and green spaces.

During the meeting, members elected three new board members to three-year terms: Viviana Catano, Senior Project Manager at Mass General Brigham; Kavish Gandhi, a master's candidate in City Planning at MIT and former TND staff and board member; and Hollis Graham, Executive Director at Northbridge Communities. Additionally, current board members Kristen Janjar, Orlando Jaquez, Guadalupe Panameno, and Mina Jlil were re-elected.

A special tribute honored Cassie Witthaus for her nearly six years of leadership in TND's real estate development. Witthaus recently transitioned to serve as Director of Real Estate at North Shore CDC. Her tenure at TND was marked by significant contributions to affordable housing projects in Revere, Malden, and Chelsea.

Executive Director Rafael Mares addressed the attendees, emphasizing the organization's resilience and commitment: "This organization, this team, and this community have shown up every single time. I have no doubt we will keep doing exactly that."

The meeting concluded with a celebration of TND's staff, residents, volunteers, and supporters, whose collective efforts continue to strengthen the community.