Concord, New Hampshire…Earlier this spring, CATCH Neighborhood Housing held its annual celebration and housing heroes awards event Keys to a Brighter Future. This annual celebration of CATCH partners, residents, donors, volunteers and staff recognized several individuals and organizations who have made a meaningful impact on the ongoing crucial need for affordable housing throughout Merrimack County and the state of New Hampshire.
Tom Furtado, President and CEO of CATCH, noted of the event, “Each and every person there was dedicated to our organization and to our mission, unselfishly giving of their time, money and expertise so that others can have a safe and affordable home. A very special thanks especially to our staff who are called upon to navigate the worlds of real estate development, finance and social services with compassion, every day.”
Over the course of the evening, four awards were given out honoring visionary leaders, business partners, volunteers, and housing champions who went above and beyond over the course of the year to further CATCH’s mission.
First up was the 2024 Business Partner of the Year, an honor given to a business or individual who has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that safe and affordable housing is available throughout the community. This year’s awardee was Nobis Group, with the award accepted by Chris Nadeau, Nobis’ Director of Commercial Services. For nearly thirty years, Nobis and CATCH have worked together on countless projects to bring hundreds of affordable housing units to the public in Merrimack County. Nobis’ expertise and environmentally friendly approach to its engineering solutions is widely recognized and respected by city and town planners which makes short work of permitting and city approvals.
Current City of Concord Mayor Byron Champlin received the 2024 Volunteer of the Year Award. Long before Champlin became mayor, he demonstrated an incredible commitment to CATCH and affordable housing in Merrimack County, volunteering countless hours as a CATCH Board member and serving as part of the Executive Committee. With his signature bow tie, cheerful smile and unending network of friends and connections, Champlin promoted CATCH’s mission through all of his local interests, from the Task Force on the Economy to the Concord Chamber of Commerce, Leadership New Hampshire, Capitol Center for the Arts, and Concord City Council.
The Helen M. Greene Visionary Award recognizes an individual or organization whose investment in the community has impacted the issue of housing in a significant way. This year’s recipient was Eastern Bank’s Community Lending Division. Eastern Bank has not only provided much needed construction and permanent financing for CATCH’s affordable housing developments, but they also serve as the tax credit investor for these properties. Angela Meehan, Vice President & Relationship Manager, accepted the award on behalf of the Community Lending division of Eastern Bank. Meehan, as part of a team of experienced leaders and visionaries, used her creativity and passion for affordable housing to help make sure that even in the midst of a pandemic when funding and tax credit complications put so many projects on hold, the Rosemary’s Way project could continue to completion. More recently, Eastern Bank stepped up to provide financing and equity investment to make CATCH’s Sheep Davis development in Concord, New Hampshire, a reality, which will bring another forty-eight affordable housing units available to the public by December of this year.
Last but not least is our Rosemary M. Heard Housing Award, named after a longtime dynamic and inspirational leader of CATCH. This award recognizes an individual or organization who serves as a fearless advocate and tireless champion of safe, affordable housing, and no one embodies those qualities more than Dan Kierce of RBC Community Investments. Furtado agreed, “To be a champion of safe and affordable housing means to be willing to get involved, roll up your sleeves, and make it happen. I had heard all about Dan long before I ever actually met him myself. Dan had worked with Rosemary on several deals and had earned her utmost respect. RBC Community Investments serves as a syndicator of our tax credits, basically turning fancy pieces of paper that say ‘Tax Credit’ into the actual money that we use to build our communities. This is a very complicated and competitive industry, with a lot of volatility, especially during and after Covid. Getting a deal done takes the effort of an individual willing to work hard and advocate for that housing development. That is what Dan has done and continues to do for CATCH.”
All funds raised over the course of the evening support the development of affordable housing communities in Merrimack County where all residents can be confident of a safe and affordable home. This event, hosted for the second year at The Barn at Bull Meadow, wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of all of our event sponsors, and especially Merrimack County Savings Bank, with Bank of New Hampshire, HUB International, Eastern Bank, Milestone Engineering & Construction, M & T Bank, and RBC Capital Markets.
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