2013 Annual Meeting

2013 Annual Meeting

Celebrating Our 34th Year!

By NHS Staff. Photos by Ray Taylor.

On Tuesday, October 29, NHS celebrated its 34th anniversary with its 2013 Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting was a fun and joyous way to connect with our partners and stakeholders to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year.

Back by popular demand, Big Green Truck Pizza catered the event for a second year in a row, providing our guests with a constant stream of delicious and diverse pizzas.

 Katalina’s Bakery provided a tasty array of seasonal cupcakes, including a rave-worthy apple cider cupcake with maple frosting.

This year we turned the campus into a pop-up art gallery to feature two artists who live in our targeted neighborhoods. Krikko Obbott staged some of his breathtaking pencil drawings, which depict scenes such as Manhattan and downtown New Haven in meticulous detail.

Newhallville resident artist Winfred Rembert also displayed his art. Winfred hand-tools and paints leather canvasses, creating beautiful images of people and life, including scenes from the rural South of his childhood. Winfred demonstrated his craft for an attentive audience during the event.

During the speaking component of the event, keynote speaker John DeStefano, Jr. reflected on his relationship with NHS over the past 20 years of his service as Mayor. DeStefano reiterated our commitment to working with people as well as with houses. At the end of his speech, Executive Director Jim Paley presented DeStefano with a plaque honoring him for his work as New Haven’s mayor – in addition to a box of DeStefano’s favorite cookies, baked just for him by our bookkeeper, Becky.

NHS also honored New Haven Independent editor Paul Bass with an award for the Independent’s commitment to writing relevant content about the dynamics and issues happening in our targeted neighborhoods.

 
Two NHS homeowners also spoke at the event. Both homeowners testified to the value of our work in preparing families for homeownership and in helping them protect that homeownership status.

The homeowners spoke to a standing-room-only crowd!

 
NHS also tipped its hat to Senior Housing Specialist, Tom Citerella, who is celebrating 15 years of working at NHS. Three new members were sworn in to our board of directors, and several others were reelected.

Housing Specialists Tom Citerella and Clara Quinones

Thank you to all of the sponsors, artists, supporters, and speakers who made our event such a success! Here’s to another 34 years of homeownership and communities!