Our Team

Alma Chislom, President

Alma is a BNCLT resident and leader.  She coordinates the Stewardship Committee, connecting BNCLT board members, the property management company and the residents of our properties. Her association with the land trust started when she lived in a home that was in foreclosure and in threat of being auctioned. Her property is now part of BNCLT.  It is her hope to give back to her community and those who have helped her and her family through organizing in her community to end displacement. When not organizing or teaching peers on housing issues, Alma works as a team leader in the healthcare field.  She has raised 5 children in Dorchester. 

Amos Cordon

During the foreclosure crisis in the Boston neighborhoods, Amos relocated to 622 West Park St in Dorchester with the help of COHIF (which later became BNCLT). He has resided there since 2012 and has been permitted to remain in his residence. At Northeastern University, Amos, a single father of two adolescents, is pursuing a Master's in Public Policy with a concentration in Environmental Sustainability. While concurrently sustaining employment, Amos is pursuing a Master's in Environmental Policy at Vermont Law and Graduate School.

Amos, an active land trust resident, has volunteered to testify before legislation. He participated in the interview with the Common Good management staff. Ultimately, he is regarded as one of the founding members of the Community Land Trust Ambassadors, a position that entails educating individuals about the Community Land Trust. Amos is confident that his profound commentary on the importance of doing things the right way, his understanding of public policies, and his involvement in the community land trust can provide the board with valuable insights.

Cindy Heraldo

Cindy Heraldo lives on Park Street close to one of BNCLT’s buildings. She runs a childcare business, works as a beauty consultant, and has been active in her community for a long time. Originally from Trinidad, Cindy has lived in Boston for over 24 years. Cindy is a natural leader. She has taken a lead role with her neighbors and BNCLT to activate the vacant lot next to her building. She is always coming up with creative ideas for things to do in the lot, and has been a fantastic steward of the garden the neighborhood has created over the last 2 years.

Cortina Vann

Cortina is a Community Organizer with Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA) in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She has been working with MAHA’s grassroots group of community members since 1999, and has over eleven years working for financial service organizations. At MAHA, she has staffed campaigns that have led to an increase in the city of Boston’s linkage fee and establishment of an inclusionary development policy, as well as helping to pass the Community Preservation Act (CPA). Cortina is a supporter and volunteer with the Black Economic Justice Institute and member of the Blue Hills Corridor Commission. Before coming to MAHA, she worked at Fleet Bank underwriting small business loans. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Cortina grew up in Roxbury. She received her B.A. in Business Administration: Accounting & Management at George Washington University’s Mount Vernon Campus. She is committed to BNCLT to make sure that low to moderate-income working-class individuals and families have options on where they choose to live and not be displaced from their homes. 

Eloise P. Lawrence, Clerk 

Eloise has been a proud member of BNCLT- formerly COHIF- since 2015. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the Deputy Faculty Director of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB). HLAB was one of the founding members of BNCLT that was created in response to the massive displacement occurring from the foreclosure crisis. Lawrence has been working to defend homeowners and tenants since the start of the foreclosure crisis in 2008, when she was working for Greater Boston Legal Services, another founding member of BNCLT.  In her current practice, she represents families who are being displaced from their homes and communities due to gentrification and speculation. In addition to protecting tenants in the courts, she, along with her students, works closely with community organizers to ensure tenants realize their collective power. She started her legal career working on civil rights issues in Chicago Public Housing as a Skadden Fellow. She received a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 2002 and a B.A. from Stanford University in 1995.

Eric Boyd

Eric was born and raised in Boston. After being priced out of the South End, he moved to Somerville, where he lived for 20 years. He then moved to Dorchester 16 years ago. Eric was one of the residents who organized to win 6 Humphreys Place after years of legal battles between tenants and the landlord who had sent them no-fault eviction notices. Through their organizing, the tenants prevailed, winning a collective bargaining agreement that allowed them to stay in their homes, which became a permanent reality once BNCLT purchased the building in 2022.  

Following the tenant victory, Eric says: “Don’t give up or give in, ‘cause when we fight, we win. I’m living proof.”

Erica Schwarz

Erica comes to BNCLT with a determination to address the ever worsening housing crisis and with the belief that the only way to create lasting justice is through community organizing and grassroots action. Erica lives in Fields Corner and is active with Dorchester Not for Sale. Professionally, Erica has served as the Community Organizer and then Executive Director of WATCH Community Development Corporation in Waltham, the Executive Director of Southwest Boston CDC in Hyde Park, and as a Program Officer with LISC. Currently, Erica is the Community Project Manager with the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, advancing real estate projects that support the sustainability of nonprofit services in Cambridge.

Joceline Fidalgo

Joceline Fidalgo is a life-long resident of North Dorchester and has been active in local community organizing since she was a teenager. She was a staff member at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative for over 8 years, where she served as the Director of Development and Deputy Director. While at DSNI, she led fundraising and organizational development efforts. Seeing the success of the Dudley Neighbors Inc land trust and others in the Greater Boston area have made her very excited about what can be accomplished when community members control land and housing in their neighborhoods. She sees the CLT model as one of the few viable options for fighting displacement and ensuring community control over local development. She is excited to help contribute to BNCLTs growth. She is also an amazing mom to 3yr old, Zaia Maria.

Lori Hurlebaus

Lori Hurlebaus is a Fields Corner, Dorchester resident. Born and raised in Dorchester, Lori is committed to fighting for community based solutions that will prevent displacement and protect our community.  Lori has been active in many justice movements, including housing justice, for over 25 years - always committed to base building, people power and the leadership of those most impacted to envision and enact the change most needed. After facing housing insecurity and displacement from Oakland, CA Lori returned home to Dorchester in 2015 to rebuild her life and has been active in fighting for housing justice in Boston since. She has done tenant organizing in City Life Vida Urbana, co-founded and is active in organizing Dorchester Not for Sale and has contributed to building citywide campaigns in coalitions across Boston. Lori is excited to contribute to the work to support and expand community control of land and removing housing from a market driven by profit to create true health, stability and community wealth.

Susan Chihambakwe

Susan is a BNCLT resident and active leader. She participated in the CLT Ambassador program, and brings a commitment to leadership and peer learning to share BNCLT's model. Susan is passionate about protecting tenants’ rights, and actively supports tenants in Boston who face eviction, including regularly accompanying tenants in housing court. Susan plays a big role in helping with public policy at Rosie’s Place. She is an artist by trade, dedicating her talents to making clothes and jewelry.

Meridith Levy, Executive Director

mlevy@bnclt.org | 617-237-6044

Meridith Levy joined BNCLT in January, 2020 as BNCLT’s Executive Director. She brings 20 years of experience from the community development sector, with a background in community organizing and planning, and organizational management-- focusing on social and economic equity, anti-displacement, and land use. Meridith began her organizing career in Minnesota using the Community Reinvestment Act to hold banks accountable to family farmers.  She led numerous community planning initiatives and organizing campaigns in Fitchburg, MA and Somerville, MA, helping to win passage of Somerville’s Community Preservation Act; increased Inclusionary Zoning to 20%; and establishment of Somerville’s Jobs Linkage Fee. As Deputy Director of Somerville Community Corporation from 2013-2020, Meridith helped create and oversee SCC’s First Source Jobs Program and the Social Equity Campaign. Meridith studied emerging approaches to community capital and finance as a LISC Rubinger Fellow in 2018. She is excited to be a part of the BNCLT team to help build grassroots power and explore creative acquisition strategies for housing justice through the CLT model. 

MA and MS from Tufts University: Urban and Environmental Policy and Agriculture, Food and the Environment

Markeisha Moore, Resident Leadership Coordinator

mmoore@bnclt.org

Markeisha Moore is a community organizer and advocate focusing on affordable housing (preservation, new build, and policy). She has been part of Dorchester Not 4 Sale (DN4S) for the past five years, and part of the citywide Coalition for a Truly Affordable Boston (CTAB) for almost as long. She has also been a part of multiple community projects including helping shape BNCLT's Membership proposal. 

Louisa Winchell, Program Coordinator

lwinchell@bnclt.org

Louisa Winchell first started working with BNCLT as a Tisch Fellow in the summer of 2022 – as a Tufts MA Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning student. For two years, she worked part-time doing BNCLT’s communications and supporting fundraising and events. She also assisted BNCLT as the Property Transfer Project Coordinator with the Greater Boston CLT Network. As BNCLT’s Program Coordinator, she supports BNCLT’s fundraising, communications, membership, and other BNCLT programs. This includes developing BNCLT’s asset building / rent-to-own program; and BNCLT’s property transfer program. As someone who grew up in the area, she is honored to support the growth and stewardship of community-controlled permanently affordable housing in Boston.

Bree Herne, Senior Operations Manager

Akwesasne Kanien’kehá:ka (St. Regis Mohawk)

Bree did her undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts and Cornell University. Bree’s Bachelor of Science is in American Studies, with her Honors Project being in Applications of Indigenous Technical Knowledge in land and governance. While working at NeighborWorks America, Bree earned her master’s degree in Public Administration at the University of Massachusetts Boston (2010).  Her Capstone Project was on Urban Native American Housing. She has a graduate certificate from the University of New Hampshire’s Carlisle School of Public Policy in Community Development Finance (2013) and a graduate certificate from  Harvard Business School in Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Indigenous Communities (2018). During her time with NeighborWorks America Organizational Assessment Division, she was a contributor for assessment and affiliation reports for the Northeast and Southern Regions,   Green Champion of NeighborWorks America, and founding member of Akwe:kon (a working group focused on NeighborWorks America’s reach into Indian Country.)   After leaving NeighborWorks, she was a lead organizer with Medicine Wheel Solidarity Network, a community group made up of Boston Native American community and Settler Allies, that was formed in response to calls for solidarity organizing. Notable actions have been for mutual aid, fundraising and political support for Red Warrior Camp and Camp of the Sacred Stones at  Standing Rock, Mauna Kea ʻOhana, Wet’suwet’en Solidarity, and the Tyendinaga Mohawk. Through that work, she consulted on housing developments and community organizational efforts throughout Turtle Island.

Outside of work, Bree has served on the board of the North American Indian Center of Boston and Allston Brighton CDC. She was Chief Organizer for Boston’s Indigenous Women’s March and Indigenous March for Science.  She currently has a side hustle of making jewelry that is reflective of Indigenous Stories and Legends and selling it at local markets and on the internet. She also spends her free time exploring odd roadside attractions, and reading far too much sci-fi.

Adrian R. Carillo and Adrian R. Carrillo Jr., Financial Consultants

Adrian R Carrillo and Adrian R Carrillo Jr. are working with BNCLT as financial consultants. Adrian Sr. started Carrillo Business Services over 20 years ago and has been a trusted advisor as CFO to small businesses and non-profits, the role he continues to play for BNCLT.  Adrian Jr. is providing Controller services to BNCLT. He has been with Carrillo Business Services for 14 years and obtained the IRS Enrolled Agent license in 2019.

Loryn Sheffner, Real Estate Consultant

Loryn Sheffner, Principal of Avenue Development, has worked as a community development real estate practitioner for over 20 years, often for not-for-profit or public sector clients. She has been sharing her expertise with BNCLT as our real estate consultant.