b"Josephine McNeilDoctor of Humane Letters, honoris causaJosephine McNeils experience in community-based nonprofit housing development spans three decades of commitment to local families. The Executive Director of Citizens for Affordable Housing in Newton Development Organization, Inc. (CAN-DO) was an organizing member of the nonprofitserving as inaugural President of its Board of Directors until 1999 when she was appointed Executive Director. McNeil retired in 2017, returned as interim Executive Director in 2019, and was named permanent Executive Director in 2021.Since 1994, CAN-DO has been mission-driven to create and manage affordable housing in the City of Newton. Under McNeils leadership, the nonprofit has developed 50 housing units (43 of which are deed-restricted, ensuring they remain affordable in perpetuity) aimed at serving a diverse array of residents including individuals with developmental disabilities; female heads of households who have experienced domestic violence; and formerly unhoused families including veterans. McNeils collaboration with various agencies has secured essential services for residents, among them the skills needed to achieve financial self-sufficiency. McNeils commitment to and passion for issues impacting housing stability for income-eligible families permeates myriad arenas. As a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, McNeil sits on the Civil Rights and Social Justice Council; as a member of the American Bar Association, she acts as Special Advisor to the Commission on Homelessness and Poverty. As Co-Chair of Uniting Citizens for Housing Affordability in Newton (U-CHAN), McNeil has been instrumental in educating community members about the need for housing options across income ranges. Her advocacy efforts extend to Newton Wellesley Hospital where she sits on the Board of Governors and serves on the Community Benefits Committee.As a member of Advisory Boards to the City of Newton, including the Fair Housing Committee and the Newton Housing Partnership, McNeil routinely assesses housing projects and reviews credibility to ensure a percentage of units remain affordable. At the Mission and Social Commission of the Eliot Church, McNeil guides the distribution of resources to social justice organizations.McNeil's commitment to the continued allocation of Community Development Block Grant funding for affordable housing and services for low-income individuals and families in Newton led to former mayor David Cohen inviting her to accompany him and the then Associate Director of Housing to Washington to testify before Congress in 2002.Her service to the community at large has been recognized through awards from the Boston College Law School, City of Newton, Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership, Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, Charles River Chamber of Commerce, and the Eastern Bank Foundation. McNeil is a graduate of Vassar College and Boston College Law School.6"