Bill Walczak, Meg Campbell, and Gail Latimore. Seth Daniel photo
When Gail Latimore, longtime executive director of the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC), took the reins of the organization in the early 1990s, the area had a challenging reputation and not much of a vision for a community landscape dotted by vacant homes and storefronts.
But under Latimore’s leadership, the NDC has created hundreds of new affordable housing units, and first-time homebuyer classes and social services like financial literacy have set the community up for success. She notes that everything was done with a community-first approach.
Latimore celebrated her retirement at a gala on Thursday night (Nov. 6) in Dona Habana Restaurant in the South End, where she was joined by scores of development professionals, elected officials, family, friends, and co-workers who sought to send her off in style.
“Gail leaves behind a vacancy that will be felt for years to come,” said Marcia Thornhill, the NDC’s vice president of operations. “Here, dedication and passion will be missed forever. It would be impossible to duplicate her because – let’s face it – there’s only one Gail.”
Early in her career, Latimore says, she was often quiet and lacked the confidence to speak out in a room full of seasoned, affordable housing advocates. She picked good role models, who helped her get to the point where she was confident and an undisputed leader in the field.
“It’s okay to not be confident in yourself, but you grow into it, and you learn from other people, and you build your confidence,” she told The Reporter. “That’s exactly what happened to me. I grew into this job because of everybody that’s in this room…It’s just been a phenomenal ride, and we have some of the most committed people on our staff that make it happen.”
Known as a leader who cherishes the behind the scenes work that simply gets the job done, Latimore has also been outspoken when need be. That, she said, came from serving and loving the Codman Square community.
“It’s not an easy job, but it’s a job I’ve loved because it involves serving the community and I absolutely without question from the bottom of my heart love my community,” she said. “That’s what happens with everyone in our agency. We may not always see eye to eye on everything…but you serve the community and love the community. That’s what I love about working at Codman Square NDC.”
The search for Latimore’s successor is expected to begin soon.
Seth Daniel photos
Marie Morisset, of Boston Communities, with Gail Latimore. Seth Daniel photo
State Rep. Russell Holmes, Marilyn Forman of CSNDC, Gail Latimore, Marcia Thornhill of CSNDC, and Glynn Lloyd, of Nectar Community Investments. Seth Daniel photo
