Boston Affordable Housing Conference

Martin J. Walsh, a lifelong champion of working people and a proud product of the City of Boston, is the City’s 54th mayor. Mayor Walsh was sworn in to serve a second term on January 1, 2018. Mayor Walsh’s vision is of a thriving, healthy, and innovative Boston — a City with equality and opportunity for all, where a revolutionary history inspires creative solutions to the challenges of the 21st century. Since taking office, Mayor Walsh has focused on strengthening Boston’s schools, adding hundreds of high-quality pre-kindergarten seats, funding extended learning time and advanced curriculum at more schools, and securing tuition-free community college for Boston Public Schools graduates. The Mayor has led Boston to the forefront of the global innovation economy, by attracting industry-leading private sector employers, upgrading the City’s digital infrastructure, and using technology to transform government services — from a parking meter payment app to a new City website. At the same time, he has created powerful tools for low-income workers, including a “learn and earn” job apprenticeship program and an Office of Financial Empowerment. He is the founding vice-chair of the Cities of Opportunity Task Force at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, elevating the national conversation on income inequality. The Walsh Administration has addressed the tremendous need for housing in the City with an ambitious plan, setting records for new affordable and middle-class homes. In addition, it has built a state-of- the-art homeless shelter and gotten the City on a path to effectively ending chronic homelessness. The Administration has been hailed by President Obama for expanding young people’s opportunities and breaking new ground in crime prevention and police-community relations. Other milestones include the nation’s first municipal Office of Recovery Services to prevent and treat substance abuse; the City’s first Cultural Plan in a generation, to restore Boston’s identity as an arts leader; and, in a sign of strong fiscal management and economic policy, the City’s first perfect AAA bond ratings, unlocking unprecedented investments in parks, libraries, and public safety. Finally, the Mayor has invited the people of Boston to help build a blueprint for the City’s future in Imagine Boston 2030, the first citywide plan in half a century. Before taking office, Mayor Walsh served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he was a leader on job creation and worker protections; substance abuse, mental health, and homelessness; K-12 education; and civil rights. He played a key role defending Massachusetts’ pioneering stand on marriage equality. Mayor Walsh also made his mark as a labor leader. After following his father into Laborers Local 223 in Boston, he rose to head the Building and Construction Trades Council from 2011 to 2013. He worked with business and community leaders to promote high-quality development, and he created a program called Building Pathways that has become a model for increasing diversity in the workplace and providing good career opportunities for women and people of color. Born and raised in the neighborhood of Dorchester by immigrant parents, Mayor Walsh is driven to make sure Boston is a City where anyone can overcome their challenges and fulfill their dreams. As a child, Mayor Walsh survived a serious bout of Burkitt lymphoma, thanks to the extraordinary care he received at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. His recovery from alcoholism as a young adult led to his lifelong commitment to the prevention and treatment of addiction. And while working full-time as a legislator, he returned to school to earn a degree in Political Science at Boston College. Mayor Walsh continues to reside in Dorchester, where he shares his life with longtime partner Lorrie Higgins.

Mr. Manning is one of the two original founders of Boston Capital Corporation, which was formed in 1974. From its beginning, Boston Capital’s goal was to focus on providing equity investment capital for the development of apartment properties throughout the country. Under Mr. Manning’s leadership as CEO for the past 43 years, Boston Capital has grown into one of the largest owners/investors in apartment properties in the United States. Through a number of affiliated partnerships, Boston Capital’s present portfolio is comprised of approximately 1,855 properties with an original development cost in excess of $18.7 billion. These properties are located in 49 states, the Virgin Islands and Guam, both of which are U.S. territories. As CEO of Boston Capital, Mr. Manning continues to oversee the company’s business development goals. Capitalizing on its core competencies of tax credit investment underwriting, those business development goals include an expansion of investment capital for market rate real estate investment as well as providing mortgage financing for a limited and exclusive number of property acquisitions. Mr. Manning is a recognized leader in the housing and real estate industries, and has served on the boards of a number of national housing organizations and governmental commissions. In 1997, President Clinton appointed Mr. Manning to the President’s Export Council, a board comprised primarily of Fortune 500 CEOs that advised the President on government policies and programs that affect U.S. trade performance. He was also a Presidential appointee to the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts. Mr. Manning serves on the boards of numerous organizations and charities including The Alliance for Business Leadership, the American Ireland Fund and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation, where he is Chairman of the Distinguished Visitors Program. Mr. Manning is also a member of the Board of Directors of Liberty Mutual Group, the parent company of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, and sits on Liberty Mutual’s investment and compensation committees. Mr. Manning is a graduate of Boston College.