Staff Directory
General inquiries:
617-391-4000 | [email protected]
Membership help:
617-391-4010 | [email protected]
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Jennifer Effron (she/her) Policy Director Jenny brings a collaborative approach to her role, using partnerships to help drive change at the intersection of policy and design. At the BSA she focuses on issues around housing, climate change, urban planning, equity and public appointments. She works with the state chapter on Massachusetts-wide legislative issues as well. Jenny has a background in community development and affordable housing, as well as degrees in Urban Planning and Law. Before joining the BSA, she spent over 5 years as the Executive Director of a Main Streets organization in the South End of Boston, where she worked on neighborhood improvement projects, public park activation and small business assistance. While not at work, she spends time with her family exploring Cambridge and beyond and is always looking for family movie night ideas. |
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Maia Erslev (they/them) Gallery Manager Maia manages all exhibitions hosted within the 7,000+ square feet gallery that is BSA Space. They develop programming and initiatives related to the exhibitions to enhance the visitor experience for everyone who walks through our doors. A graduate of Smith College, Maia comes to the BSA with a degree in Anthropology with a dual minor in Landscape Studies and Museums. Their interests are varied and are tied together by a long-lasting interest in architecture and museums. When not in the office, Maia enjoys exploring Boston galleries & museums, searching for the best hand-pulled noodles in the city, and hanging out with their partner and pup. |
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Alexander G. Howard (he/him) Development Director As Development Director, Alex partners with the BSA’s philanthropic champions in the community to ensure the organization has the resources it needs to create sustainable change and remains a thoughtful steward of the contributions of everyone who gives. Before joining the BSA, Alex spent seven years as a consultant for nonprofits across New England at the Rhode Island-based Cause & Effect, Inc., providing strategic and fund development planning assistance, and coaching executive and development directors on improving their organizations' giving programs. Prior to that, he worked at the Providence After School Alliance and the Congregational Library. Alex lives in Providence with his rescue shepherd dog, Saga. He holds a B.A. in Creative Writing (Nonfiction) from Warren Wilson College. |
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Madeleine Hykes (she/her) Content Specialist As a Content Specialist, Madeleine manages special programs for the BSA's Knowledge Communities and oversees ARE Prep/Licensing. Before the BSA, Madeleine was a Research Assistant at McGill University and Program Coordinator for the City of Hartford's Love Your Block initiative. Madeleine received her Honours BA in Urban Systems and Human Geography from McGill University. Madeleine is passionate about all dimensions of our built environments, with a particular commitment to participatory research methods, systems thinking, and accessible design. A flâneuse at heart, she enjoys experiencing the city from a pedestrian's perspective, but can most often be found cycling anywhere and everywhere. |
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Nigel Jacob (he/him) Managing Director of Innovation Nigel sees his role as an opportunity for orienting architecture towards community impact and broadening focus on the built environment in Boston. He co-founded and led the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, a civic innovation incubator and R&D lab within Boston’s City Hall, from 2006-2022. He has also served as a fellow at Northeastern University’s Burnes Center for Social Change and Innovation, as well as a senior fellow at the Taubman Center at the Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to joining the City of Boston, Nigel worked in a number of hi-tech startups in the Boston area. |
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Taylor Johnson (she/her) Design Education Fellow Passionate about socio-political infrastructures and community-driven design, Taylor spends her time at the BSA focusing on design education as a key to activating youth’s agency in city building. Since graduating from Syracuse Architecture with a B.Arch in 2016, she has also taught the Innovators For Purpose’s teen design studio and is actively involved in multiple pro-bono groups as a designer and steering committee member. Away from the BSA, Taylor can be found tracing every bit of the city by foot— just be warned, her pace is brisk to say the least! 🏃 |
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Li Lam Hon. BSA (she/her/她) Controller As the Controller, Li manages all the financial records and accounting needs at the BSA. She maintains a high standard in ensuring the quality and accuracy of her work, guaranteeing that it complies with the GAAP. When not balancing the books, Li enjoys walking, hiking, and exploring as many lighthouses as possible. |
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John Nunnari (he/him) Executive Director, AIA Massachusetts A long-standing BSA member and active Codes Committee and Government Affairs Committee participant and BSA lobbyist, John worked at HMFH Architects for 15 years, specializing in public school construction. He holds a BA in design studies from Boston Architectural Center and also studied at Temple University and SUNY at Delhi. An avid golfer and skier, you may find him at the annual BSA Golf Tournament. He’s still trying to convince us to hold an annual BSA Ski Tournament, though. |
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Patricia Olshan (she/her) Professional Program Manager Patricia manages many of the BSA professional programs, including the Client Conversations, the Race & Architecture series, and the Homeowner’s Project Handbook. She also manages the BSA's robust Design Awards program. She’s interested about the business side of practice and broadening the audience understanding of its impact. Prior to the BSA, Patricia produced global design innovation, leadership programs, and member partnerships at the Design Management Institute, as well as work in fine art publishing and media startups. An urbanite with lingering wanderlust, she lives for making to-do lists and searching the world for cheese boards. |
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Wandy Pascoal (she/her/ela) Design Inquiry and Research Manager Wandy works closely with Jenny Effron on the BSA's Housing-related work and has led the BSA's Future-Decker exploration. She spends her time existing at both and in between the BSA and the Mayor’s Office of Housing, which co-host her Housing Innovation Design Fellowship. Wandy was previously an architectural designer at Stull and Lee, Inc, and Madison Park Development Corporation, where she gained understanding on the intersection of community development and design. She holds a BFA in architecture from UMass Amherst and an M. Arch from MassArt. Wandy is deeply interested in independent anti-colonial design, especially as it pertains to her native Angola. |
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Ben Peterson (he/him) Community Design Director Ben is a designer, educator, advocate, and convener. Ben joins the BSA from a long tenure as an Education Director and the Director of Gateway at the Boston Architectural College where he was responsible for the development and delivery of a design curriculum rooted in practice, civic engagement, and community-based design partnerships. Ben has collaborated with an array of neighborhood organizations, community partners, students and professional designers on projects that address sea level rise and climate resiliency, creative and equitable strategies for co-creative engagement, and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the spaces and narratives that shape the experiences of the city’s most vulnerable populations. Ben received his undergraduate degrees in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Bowdoin College and a Master of Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. |
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Erika Shea Hon. BSA (she/her) Membership Prior to joining the BSA, Erika worked for a sustainable land investment firm and other nonprofits and as a swim coach. Her ambitious athletic regime—swimming, running, triathlons—coupled with Erika’s daily database and list-management vitamins keep her and the BSA fit. She holds a BA from Clark University, where she double-majored in philosophy and government international relations. Erika is captivated by historical architecture and historic landscapes, such as the Boston Common and Public Gardens, and she loves being a mom. |
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Keith Supko (he/him) Data Communications Manager Keith has worked extensively in the nonprofit sector, most recently in fundraising and development at Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he wrangled alumni, prospect, and giving data and associated processes into actionable intelligence and campaign collateral. With a background in Russian language and regional studies, he previously worked abroad and contributed to democratization and civil society development in the former Soviet Union, which blessed him with a profound conviction that wonderfully good people inhabit all nations across diverse walks of life. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, travel, contemporary art, and escaping to Cape Cod and the White Mountains.
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Eric White Hon. AIA (he/him) Executive Director Eric came to the BSA in 2006 after working at Old Sturbridge Village and became the executive director in 2013. He is is focused on leading the BSA’s strategic agenda in advancing architecture, equity and environment, as well as fundraising, working with the board and organization leadership, and the business of the BSA. A Denison University graduate, Eric participated in the Getty Leadership Institute, focusing on financial, marketing, team-building and strategic planning management in 2000. He is on the 2021 AIA Board of Directors and is the past-president of AIA CACE, the governing body of AIA chapters. In his spare time he enjoys kayaking, woodturning and carving, gardening and family.
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Anna Wong (she/her) Development Associate Anna joined the BSA as the Development Associate after working in the e-commerce industry as an account manager, specializing in both B2C and B2B support. She is a graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. degree in Political Science and Anthropology. She is passionate about advocacy for social and racial equity, and has prior experience as a political field organizer. Outside of work, Anna enjoys traveling, learning about new cultures, attending live concerts, and reading a good mystery novel. |