Staff

Crawford, Symone

Symone Crawford

Executive Director 617-822-9100 x301 email

Symone Crawford is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA), a role she assumed on January 1, 2022. Her journey with MAHA began in 2004 when she started as a volunteer, driven by a passion for increasing homeownership opportunities for people of color and first-time homebuyers. Over the years, she served on MAHA's Board of Directors for 11 years, including a term as board chair, and joined the staff in 2018 as the Director of STASH and Homeownership Operations.

Symone was born in Jamaica and moved to Boston in 1999. She became a homeowner in Mattapan through a mortgage program negotiated by MAHA, inspiring her to advocate for affordable housing. Before joining MAHA, she worked for 17 years at Encompass Insurance, most recently as a claims service leader.

Under her leadership, MAHA continues to focus on narrowing the racial homeownership gap through innovative programs and community advocacy. One of her significant contributions is the STASH program (Saving Toward Affordable Sustainable Homeownership), a matched savings initiative designed to help first-generation homebuyers.

In addition to her work at MAHA, Symone was appointed to serve on the Massachusetts Housing Advisory Council and as a consumer representative to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Symone also serves on several boards, such as the Citizens Housing and Planning Agency (CHAPA), Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA), and the Hyde Park Seventh Day Adventist Church.

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Ava Atkinson

Lottery Agent Manager, 617-822-9100 x317  email

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Ava joined MAHA as the Lottery Agent Manager in May 2024. She graduated from Northeastern University with a BS in Business Management. Before joining MAHA, she worked for Beth Israel Lahey Health as an administrator and also worked part-time as a real estate agent with a local agency, where she helped clients navigate the increasingly difficult housing market. Ava is excited to start this new chapter, where she will help low to moderate-income homeowners realize their dream of homeownership. She has lived in Boston for over 30 years and, aside from her family, faith, and business, she is an avid gardener who enjoys traveling and interior decorating.

Callahan, Devan

Devan Callahan

Director of Development and Communications, 617-822-9100 x327 email

Devan joined the MAHA team in 2022. She has previously worked as the Director of Marketing for Shakespeare in Clark Park. She was also the owner of Devan Callahan Media, social media marketing and consulting, where she worked with clients from small businesses, to non profits (including MAHA!). Devan has her B.A. from Muhlenberg College in both Theatre and French and Francophone Studies. She grew up in Milton, MA and is now splitting her time between Philly and Boston. She loves a good cup of coffee, walks with her dog, and reading.

Crockett, Michelle

Michelle Crockett

Foreclosure Prevention Manager, 617-265-8995 x308  email

Michelle has been with MAHA for 17 years and has a passion to assist individuals to be overcomers in life. She states she has the awesome privilege to play a role in the fulfillment of dreams. She is a certified recovery coach and trainer and former Stephen Minister. She is a mother to two adult children and a grandmother. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her grandson, writing, cooking and traveling. In the words of Martin Luther King, “If I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, then my living will not be in vain.”

Dambreville, Jessie

Jessie Dambreville

Community Organizer, 617-822-9100 x311  email
Jessie has been with MAHA since 2019 and a key organizer of MAHA's linkage, reinvestment and civic engagement campaigns. In addition to her work at MAHA, Jessie is a steward of the Edgewater Food Forest on River Street in Mattapan and vice chair of the Edgewater Neighborhood Association.

Davidson, Norene

Norene Davidson

Homeownership Advisor, 617-822-9100 x313 email

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Norene joined MAHA in 2023. Prior to coming to MAHA she worked remotely for Lingo Communications. She has worked in the Telecommunications industry for over 20 years. Norene is excited to start this new chapter helping Bostonians realize their dreams of homeownership and educating current homeowners. Norene graduated summa cum laude from Eastern Nazarene College with a BS in Business Management. She is a proud immigrant from Jamaica and now resides in Brockton. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family, travel, and watch K-Drama.

Fenelon, Anthonina

Anthonina Fenelon

Director of STASH, 617-822-9100 x326 email

Anthonina joined the MAHA team in 2019. She is a Licensed HUD-Certified Housing Counselor and the Director of the groundbreaking STASH program at MAHA. As the leader of the nation’s first matched savings program for first-generation first-time homebuyers, Anthonina is at the forefront of efforts to close the racial wealth and homeownership gaps. Passionate about fostering equitable opportunities, she is dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers and guiding underserved communities through the complexities of the homebuying process. A dynamic educator, Anthonina finds immense fulfillment in teaching financial literacy courses, equipping participants with the knowledge and tools needed to achieve lasting success in homeownership and build generational wealth. Her work reflects her unwavering commitment to advancing a just economy where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

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Jen Gordon

STASH Program Manager, 617-822-9100 x315 email

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Jen joined the MAHA team in 2024. She previously worked as a science teacher and continues to have an interest in climate resiliency and general community preparedness. One element of that is helping ensure that all persons have a stable and safe home from which they can be involved in their community. She’s excited about MAHA and STASH’s mission to help would-be homeowners purchase and maintain new homes. An avid DIYer with some large-building construction experience, she lives in Brighton where she’s involved with her local religious community, and works with the Friends of Chandler Pond on invasive aquatic plant remediation projects. Jen is a graduate of Brandeis University and MIT, with degrees in chemistry and math.

Madan, Thea

Thea Madan

STASH Program Coordinator 617-822-9100 x312 email

Thea joined MAHA in May 2022. She moved from upstate New York to Boston in 2014, to pursue a business degree at Suffolk University. Thea holds extensive experience in the hospitality field and enjoys working with people of all backgrounds. She is excited to use her experience to advocate for affordable housing. In her spare time, she enjoys home brewing, meeting and advocating for her four-legged friends, and going on long walks.

McKain, Shauntelle

Shauntelle McKain

Director of Homeownership Operations, 617-822-9100 x303 email

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Shauntelle joined MAHA in January 2022. She was most recently the Senior Program Services Coordinator at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts. At Big Brothers Big Sisters, Shauntelle was a lead organizer on forming an exciting new partnership with My Brother’s Keeper, an Obama Foundation-funded initiative addressing persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. Having immigrated from the island of Jamaica, Shauntelle is a first-generation Bostonian. She graduated cum laude from University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BA in English, and earned her MA at UMass Boston. Shauntelle taught English Language Arts at the middle school level upon graduating.
 
 

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Elizabeth Nova

Homeownership Advisor, 617-822-9100 x316 email

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Elizabeth joined MAHA in February 2023. She worked in Market Research for 5 years prior to coming to MAHA. She is passionate about educating first-time homebuyers and current homeowners. Elizabeth graduated Magna Cum Laude from Babson College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is a Boston native and bilingual in English and Spanish. Outside of work she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Paulino, Sarah

Sarah Paulino

Homeownership Advisor 617-822-9100 x318 email 

Sarah became part of the MAHA team in 2019, leveraging her years of experience empowering first-time homebuyers, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. She provides comprehensive homebuyer and homeowner workshops along with one-on-one counseling sessions to help clients achieve their dream of owning a home. Sarah is a native Spanish speaker, and is passionate about serving the diverse community at MAHA. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, learning a new cooking recipe and volunteering at her local food bank.

Ana

Ana Loza Perez

Community Organizer, 617-822-9100 x328 email

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Ana joined MAHA in September 2024. She graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Economics and Anthropology. Ana is from Mexico City and trilingual in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. As an activist, Ana has been involved with the feminist movement in Mexico and Brazil, student climate action, and the Latine and women of color community in Boston. She is passionate about economic justice and racism and is excited about being a part of MAHA’s powerful organizing for affordable, sustainable housing. Outside of work, Ana enjoys running, reading, making origami cranes, and trying new recipes.

Pizer, Hillary

Hillary Pizer

Director of Organizing and Policy, 617-822-9100 x302  email

Hillary has been with MAHA since 1987. She previously worked at Clean Water Action and Massachusetts Fair Share on environmental issues. At MAHA, Hillary is the lead organizer for the grassroots Homebuyers Union and has staffed campaigns that have led to more than $5 billion in mortgage lending to lower income households in Massachusetts. She is a 1986 graduate of Harvard University and grew up in Lincoln.

Stallworth, Percy

Percy Stallworth

Home Purchase Advisor - Team Lead, 617-822-9100 x314   email

Percy joined MAHA Staff (officially) in July 2014 (but, had provided HB101 Banking presentations for the agency starting in 1995). He has been employed in various housing related capacities over the past 37 years. His vast housing advocacy experience is as follows: Percy worked as a Tenant Organizer and hotel workers Homebuyer Education Counselor for the Boston Hotel Restaurant Workers (Local 26) & UNAC (Union Neighborhood Assistance Corp) respectively. He advanced his housing knowledge and expertise as a Mortgage Loan Officer with The Boston Company; Fleet Bank, Bank of America & Citizens Bank. He became a certified Foreclosure Prevention Counselor with Ecumenical Social Action Committee. He is a 30 plus year homeowner in Malden MA. Born & raised in Birmingham Al (birthplace of America's Civil Rights Movement). Percy is married with two adult children.

Vann, Cortina

Cortina Vann

Community Organizer, 617-822-9100 x300  email

Cortina has been with MAHA since 1999. She previously worked at Fleet Bank underwriting small business loans. Cortina has over 11 years working for financial service organizations. She is an organizer for the grassroots Homebuyers Union and has staffed campaigns that have led to an increase in the city of Boston's linkage fee and establishment of an inclusionary development policy. She is a graduate of George Washington University - Mount Vernon Campus in Washington D.C. and a native of Roxbury.

Waters, Regina

Regina Waters

Director of Administration, 617-822-9100 x305  email

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Regina has been with MAHA since 1994. Previously, she worked for 14 years in the banking field at Shawmut Bank as a supervisor in the bookkeeping department. For close to 30 years at MAHA, Regina was responsible for all bookkeeping functions, audit preparation, managing payroll, HR, building manager, office manager, and member of the senior staff that helps provide overall direction for MAHA. In her spare time, she enjoys camping aka “GLAMPING” with hubby, spending time with family and friends. Regina is also an ordained minister (Elder) and a faithful member at the New Life Christian Church in Brockton in which she serves on the ministerial board. She is a graduate of Bunker Hill Community College and received an associate degree in Accounting. She is a native of North Carolina.