B'nai B'rith Housing

BBH is a nonprofit developer whose mission is to ease the housing crisis in the Greater Boston area.

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Home / Archives for Our Team

Meet the BBHousing Team

Our team of professionals.

Susan Gittelman

Executive Director617-731-5291susan@bbhousing.org

Susan Gittelman
Susan became BBH’s Founding Executive Director in 2003 bringing with her more than twenty-five years of experience in real estate development, neighborhood revitalization, and nonprofit management. Prior to working at BBH, Susan was the Director of Real Estate at Urban Edge, a Partner and Project Manager at Boston Community Ventures, and an Economic Development Director for the Neighborhood Development Corporation of Jamaica Plain.
Recognized as a leader in the affordable housing sector, she is both a legacy member of CREW Boston and sits on the Housing & Economic Development Council of the Urban Land Institute Boston/New England. In addition, Susan has been lauded for her public service by CREW Boston, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Leadership Institute, and Banker & Tradesman which named her a Woman of FIRE in 2012 and where she continues to be an Opinion Editor Columnist. Read Susan’s op-eds here.
Susan holds a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University and a Bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College.

Melissa De Oliveira Assis

Chief Operating Officer617-448-0711melissa@bbhousing.org

Melissa De Oliveira Assis
Melissa is responsible for oversight of financial and administrative functions as well as risk management for the organization. She is focused on building organizational-wide capacity via both Board development and strengthening the financial capacity of BBH .
Melissa holds a Master’s degree in International Management from Endicott College and is bilingual (Spanish/Portuguese).

Aom Sudarat Azzalina

Office Manager(617) 238-6087aom@bbhousing.org

Aom Sudarat Azzalina
Aom Sudarat Azzalina, a native of Bangkok, Thailand, is the Office Manager at B’nai B’rith Housing. Aom has a background in property management, finance, and marketing and holds a BBA in International Hotel & Tourism Management from Siam University. Aom enjoys working at B’nai B’rith Housing in their mission to “create places to call home for seniors throughout Boston and the surrounding area”.

Yara Vergucht

Senior Project Manager(617) 238-6088yara@bbhousing.org

Yara Vergucht
Yara joined the BBH team in October 2019 and manages various aspects of the affordable housing development cycle, including permitting, design, finance, and construction.  Previously she was a Senior Project Manager at the Somerville Community Corporation.  Her involvement in housing and community development initiated through her work at Habitat for Humanity in Brazil, where she coordinated a broad range of housing projects for over 10 years.
Yara holds a Bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.  She still enjoys participating in the design process of the projects she manages.

Nathifa DeBellotte

Project Manager(617) 238-6089nathifa@bbhousing.org

Nathifa DeBellotte
Nathifa, a 2020 Architecture graduate from Wentworth University, joined the BBH team in January 2021 as an Assistant Project Management Intern. She helps manage various aspects of the affordable housing development cycle, including design, finance and construction, under the supervision of Yara Vergucht, Senior Project Manager. As an intern, Nathifa has brought her technical skills and professionalism to the team. Impressed with Nathifa’s work ethic, BBH welcomed her as a full-time Project Manager in June 2021. We are excited to have her contribute to producing housing of the highest quality for low and moderate income people and to grow in this profession.

Holly Grace

Senior Project Manager617-731-5290holly@bbhousing.org

Holly Grace
Since 2007, Holly has been responsible for the organization’s affordable housing work, including the design, permitting, financing and construction of new developments. Prior to joining BBH, she was a Project Manager for Jones Lang Lasalle, a commercial real estate company, an Assistant Project Manager for the Dartmouth College Real Estate Office, and a GIS Mapping Analyst for FPD Savills in London, England.
Holly holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s degree from Williams College.

Kevin Maguire

Development Director617-238-6045kevin@bbhousing.org

Kevin Maguire
Kevin is a professional with more than 25 years of experience in the building, design and development fields including experience as a construction laborer, environmental engineer, real estate consultant and housing developer.  This breadth of experience, in addition to academic degrees in civil/environmental engineering and urban planning/development, gives Kevin unique exposure and insight into the personalities, perspectives and motivations of the various participants involved in the process of urban redevelopment and the creation of physical places.
With this perspective, Kevin has been involved in the revitalization of distressed urban public housing; the planning, financing and permitting of an inter- generational community dedicated to facilitating the adoption of children from the public foster care system; financing and managing the privatization of student housing at a California state university, managing the construction/rehabilitation of a historic bank headquarters, and overseeing the environmental remediation of leaking underground storage tanks in an environmentally sensitive area in addition to the creation of a number of award winning mixed income housing communities in New England.
Kevin resides in Boston’s South End with his wife Diana.

Speaking & Writing Requests

Inquire Today!(617) 238-6087aom@bbhousing.org

Led by Executive Director Susan Gittelman, members of our team often speak at conferences, meet with groups focusing on issues surrounding affordable housing, and write for industry publications. We aim to help find solutions to affordable housing’s biggest challenges by sharing our expertise, encouraging conversations on innovation, and advocating for smart, thoughtful housing policy.
We would be happy to speak with and write for groups who share our goals.
Please fill out this form and we will be more than happy to coordinate with you.

Contact Us

34 Washington Street
Brighton, MA 02135
Phone: 617-731-5290
Fax: 617-739-0124

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