Deborah Brown, President

Deborah Brown, President of the Board, has lived in Brookline for over 20 years. During that time, she has been engaged in a range of issues including racial and economic justice, access to safe affordable housing, and environmental protection. She brings a legal and equity lens to solving affordable housing issues. Deborah has changed the board’s focus to make housing security a priority for the board and the entire community. Her key goal is to transform people’s lives by creating a more just and equitable community.

Robert D. Lepson, CFP®, Treasurer

Robert D. Lepson, CFP, Board Member, is client focused, fee-only financial planning professional with extensive experience in relationship management, retirement, investment, tax, and estate planning. Strong background and interest in the financial markets, ESG and impact investing, and shareholder activism.

Rashmi Dyal-Chand, Clerk

Rashmi is a Professor of Law and Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Administration at Northeastern University, Affiliate Professor Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Northeastern University College of Sciences and Humanities. In addition, she joins the board with a wealth of affordable housing experience having served as associate general counsel for a major affordable housing developer where she represented them in complex transactions. Throughout her career, Rashmi has published a range of articles at academic journals. She is a graduate of Grinnell College (BA) and Northeastern University (JD).

Isabel Cruz

Isabel Cruz, Board Member, is a Brookline resident that brings extensive experience in finance and housing development to the BCDC Board. Isabel received her MBA and MA in Community Development and Housing from Clark University, and has worked as a Program Analyst and Manager for the Massachusetts Housing Partnership. Isabel now focuses on administering CRA programs in underserved communities for M&T Bank.

Ericka Pierribia

Ericka Pierribia, Board Member, has a strong history of community advocacy and support built over more than a decade of working as a Mental Health Counselor and Case Manager in underserved communities of Greater Boston. Ericka lives in Brookline with her daughter, a student in the Brookline Public School system.

Kimberley Richardson

Kimberley Richardson, Board Member, has raised a family in Brookline, while also being active in local politics. A prolific social justice advocate for Brookline’s underserved, Kimberley brings a wealth of diverse tools.

Kimberley also brings professional skills essential to the boards understanding of the toll housing insecurity adversely impacts one’s physical and emotional health.

Luciana Schachnik

Luciana Schachnik, Board Member, is a long time Brookline resident with an extensive background in philanthropy. She brings her own diversity as a Latina, Jewish immigrant from Brazil. She served on the board of Brookline for Racial Justice and Equity (BRJE). Other Brookline committee work includes the Diversity Committee at the William. H. Lincoln School in Brookline; Former Board member of Kids Clothes Club; and Brookline 21st Century Fund fundraising for programs like Tutorial and African American Scholars.

Jeff Wachter

Jeffrey Wachter, Board Member, resides with his wife and three children in Brookline Village. He comes to the board with commercial real estate finance and operations experience. Jeff brings a rich understanding of urban land use policies, leading to his interest in using zoning reform and housing policy as a tool to address some of the structural housing challenges that Brookline and the Boston metro area face today.

Staff

Dave Cavell, Executive Director

Dave Cavell is an attorney, public servant, and communications strategist who has served in two White Houses, serving as a Presidential Speechwriter for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and Chief Speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as a senior aide to Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Governor Deval Patrick. He has also advised leading policymakers, philanthropists, and Fortune 500 executives, and ran for Congress in the Massachusetts 4th Congressional Democratic primary in 2020.

Now serving as Interim Executive Director of the Brookline Community Development Corporation (BCDC), Dave is deeply committed to tackling the housing affordability crisis in his hometown of Brookline, Massachusetts, and to expanding economic stability and opportunity for more families and individuals.

LaDina Mosby, Community Organizer Consultant

LaDina Mosby has been a staunch advocate and champion of marginalized and disenfranchised communities. Her activism spans over two plus decades. She has been the voice for the voiceless by advocating for stricter laws related to domestic violence protections, cori-reform, anti-gun violence, affordable housing and family stabilization, in addition to women reproductive rights.

Her training as a licensed Esthetician, Certified Spa Therapist, and Reiki practitioner, has given her the ability to employ a holistic approach to advocacy, and community organization. She is an avid believer that practicing Self care is a luxury that is a necessity. LaDina is an impactful leader who is dedicated to wellness and whole health equity, helping individuals, and families develop sustainable lifestyle transformations.