Board of Directors
Habitat Greater Boston’s Board of Directors is made up of accomplished professionals with backgrounds in architecture, finance, law, property management, and real estate and development. Click on the names below to read their bios.
James Kirby, Chair
Commercial Construction Consulting, Inc.
Suanne St. Charles, Esq., Vice Chair
Holland & Knight, LLP
William DiSchino, Treasurer
Barkan Management Company
Susan W. Leff, Clerk
Affordable Housing Institute
Jeffrey N. Carp, Esq.
State Street Corporation
James Dever III
Sovereign/Santander
Robert E. Kenney
Kenney Development Company Inc.
Gisela LoPiano
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company
Mahmood Malihi
Leggat McCall Properties
Howard Wayne, Esq.
Wayne, Richard & Hurwitz, LLP
Kathryn West
Partners HealthCare System, Inc.
Lark Jurev Palermo, President & CEO
James Kirby
Chair, Board of Directors
Commercial Construction Consulting, Inc.
Mr. Kirby is President of Commercial Construction Consulting, a company he founded to meet the needs of real estate development, construction and engineering. He has been a member of the Board since 2006. Mr. Kirby is a licensed engineer in Massachusetts and a graduate of Northeastern University. He lives with his wife in Wrentham and they have two grown children.
Suanne St. Charles, Esq.
Vice Chair, Board of Directors
Holland & Knight, LLP
Ms. St. Charles joined Habitat’s Board in 2006 and was elected as Vice Chairman in 2011. A partner in the real estate department of Holland & Knight, Ms. St. Charles was previously a partner at McCarter & English. She is a member of the TechBoston Advisory Board for the Boston Public Schools and Mayor Menino’s “Evening on the Bridge” Board of Directors. Ms. St. Charles graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario and she earned her J.D. from Boston College Law School. She lives in West Roxbury.
William D. DiSchino
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Barkan Management Company
Mr. DiSchino joined the Board of Directors in 2008 and was elected Treasurer in 2010. He is President and CEO of Barkan Management Company, a leading manager of residential properties in Massachusetts. A member of the Community Associations Institute and the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, Mr. DiSchino is also past President of the Rental Housing Association. He is a graduate of Boston College and an IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management) Certified Property Manager. Mr. DiSchino lives with his wife in Medfield and they have four grown children.
Susan Winston Leff
Clerk, Board of Directors
Ms. Leff was elected to the Habitat Board of Directors in 2008. She is Senior Vice President of Development for the Affordable Housing Institute. Formerly Senior Vice President for Wells Fargo's Middle Market Real Estate Group. Ms. Leff is one of the co-founders of New England Women in Real Estate. She has received awards from the Real Estate Finance Association and the B'nai B'rith Realty Unit for her distinguished service to the real estate community. She is a past President of the Board of the Real Estate Finance Association and past President of the Board of Boston's Children's Museum. A graduate of the University of Chicago with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Princeton University and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University, Ms. Leff lives with her husband in Boston and they have two grown sons.
Jeffrey N. Carp, Esq.
Member, Board of Directors
State Street Corporation
Mr. Carp joined the Habitat Board in 2007. He is Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of State Street Corporation. Prior to joining State Street, Mr. Carp was Executive Vice President and General Counsel to MFS Investment Management and he is a former partner of WilmerHale, LLP. A graduate of Tufts University and George Washington Law School, Mr. Carp resides in Wayland with his wife and two children.
James P. Dever III
Member, Board of Directors
Sovereign/Santander
Mr. Dever has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2004 and he also serves as Chair of the Family Partnership Committee. He is currently Vice President, Sales Manager at Sovereign Bank/Santander Universities and he resides in Boston.
Robert E. Kenney
Member, Board of Directors
Kenney Development Corporation Inc.
Mr. Kenney is President of Kenney Development Company, a leading real estate firm engaged in development, urban planning and consulting. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 2012. A licensed real estate broker and Massachusetts construction superintendent, Mr. Kenney is a Trustee of the Greater Boston YMCA and Chairman of the Housing Development Corporation of Wellesley. Mr. Kenney graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Community Planning and Development and he lives in Wellesley with his wife and children.
Gisela LoPiano
Member, Board of Directors
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company
Ms. LoPiano was elected to the Board of Directors in 2012. She is Boston Private Bank & Trust Company' Chief Lending Officer for the East Coast. A graduate of the University of Miami and an adjunct member of the Boston Security Analysts Society, Ms. LoPiano lives in Westwood with her husband and two sons.
Mahmood Malihi
Member, Board of Directors
Leggat McCall Properties
Mr. Malihi joined the Board of Directors in 2007 and he was elected Chairman of the Board in 2009. He is Executive Vice President and Principal at Leggat McCall Properties. Prior to joining Leggat McCall in 1983, Mr. Malihi worked at Macomber Builders. He is also a past President of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Mr. Malihi earned his BS in Engineering from Tufts University and his Master's degree from Stanford University. He resides in Boston.
Howard J. Wayne, Esq.
Member, Board of Directors
Wayne, Richard & Hurwitz, LLP
Mr. Wayne was elected to the Board of Directors in 2007. He is the founding partner of Wayne, Richard & Hurwitz where he specializes in business transactions. Mr. Wayne earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Massachusetts and his J.D. from Boston College Law School. He is currently a Trustee at Salem State College. Mr. Wayne resides in Brookline with his wife. They have two grown children and four grandchildren.
Kathy West
Member, Board of Directors
Partners HealthCare System
Ms. West was was elected to the Board of Directors in 2011. She is Vice President of Real Estate and Facilities at Partners HealthCare. She is on the Board of Directors Management Committee of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properities (NAIOP), an active member of New England Women in Real Estate (NEWIRE), Assistant Chair of the Healthcare and Life Sciences Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), Treasurer and member of the Board of Directors of the Boston Center for the Arts and on the Board of Trustees of Lasell College in Newton, MA. Kathy earned her undergraduate degree from Smith College and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University.
Lark Jurev Palermo
President & CEO
Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Inc.
Ms. Palermo was appointed as President and CEO of Habitat Greater Boston in November, 2005. She has an extensive background in housing, nonprofit management, and real estate development. Prior to joining Habitat, she was General Counsel at The Community Builders, a nonprofit affordable housing development company. She is the former Commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management and a former partner in the real estate department of WilmerHale, LLP. She is a past President of the Board of Trustees at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design. A graduate of Boston University and Suffolk University Law School, Ms. Palermo lives in Brookline with her two sons.