Concord, New Hampshire…CATCH Neighborhood Housing is pleased to welcome three new members to its board of directors. At CATCH’s annual meeting, the board approved the addition of Clement Kigugu, Executive Director of Overcomers Refugee Services; Detective Sergeant Benjamin Mitchell of the Concord Police Department; and Katie Robert, Regional Director for JSI. The addition of these board members further strengthens CATCH’s commitment to building a governing board that represents the needs and interests of the greater community.
Clement N. Kigugu currently serves as the founder and Executive Director of Overcomers Refugee Services, a Concord-based non-profit dedicated to educating, empowering and engaging New Americans throughout the state of New Hampshire. Previously, he worked with Ascentria Care Alliance and as a multi-language interpreter, assisting New Americans and refugees with job services and employment counseling.
When asked about serving on CATCH’s board of directors, Kigugu said, “I came to the USA in 2006, and a few years later, I had an idea to buy a house and became the first home buyer. I needed to figure out where to start as I was still new, and none of my refugee friends knew the system. I learned that CATCH is a place where I can get training; I was trained and became a homeowner. I learned the role of CATCH in the community and how much they have been helping refugees and New Americans get apartments. I felt I should get involved, contribute, and support its mission.”
A long-time champion of affordable housing and its impact on healthy communities, Katie Robert currently serves as Regional Director for JSI, New Hampshire’s community health institute. Through her work at JSI, Robert collaborates with government, private, and nonprofit sectors to identify public health care challenges and implement solutions, thereby improving the overall health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities.
Robert remarked, "One of the biggest challenges to keeping Granite Staters healthy is making sure everyone across their lifespan has a safe, reliable place to call home. It's a complicated issue created by decades of policy and investment decisions and requires a broad range of solutions and partnerships to solve. I'm so excited for this opportunity to join the CATCH Board and be part of the creative, community-driven solutions they're leading."
Robert is also a graduate of the Leadership Greater Concord Class of 2024 and serves as a Diversity and Cultural Competence trainer through the NH Health & Equity Partnership.
In his current role as Detective Sergeant of the Concord Police Department, Benjamin Mitchell supervises the department’s Computer Crimes Unit and its Youth Services Unit, including the department’s three SRO officers. His work provides him with firsthand knowledge about the needs of the community, and the positive impact that stable and safe housing can have on local residents.
Mitchell noted, “Being a part of the CATCH Board of Directors is a good opportunity for me to further serve our community. CATCH is a leader in providing housing to people during a time when housing is in such high demand. The CATCH Neighborhood Housing team works hard to ensure housing needs are being met throughout the Greater Concord area, and they are always looking for creative and innovative ways to increase the housing supply in our community. I look forward to bringing my experience with the City of Concord to the CATCH Housing Board of Directors.”
CATCH President and CEO Tom Furtado said, “We are very excited to welcome Clement, Katie and Ben to CATCH’s board. They each bring expertise and experiences that will be very valuable to furthering CATCH’s mission. I look forward to working with them and the rest of our board members to strengthen CATCH in the years to come!”
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