Staff
Along with our Board of Directors, Mission Hill NHS has three employees who are dedicated to the revitalization and stabilization of the Mission Hill area.
Patricia Flaherty - Executive Director
Ms. Flaherty was promoted to Executive Director of Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services in October 2014. Previously, she served as the Senior Project Manager since 2004 and is responsible for our goal to redevelop Parcel 25. Ms. Flaherty directed the design, consultant selection, community organizing, and implementation of the Parcel 25 Community Planning and Development Initiative that resulted in a $100 million community-generated transit-oriented redevelopment plan for Parcel 25 that includes mixed use projects of affordable housing for low-and moderate-income residents, neighborhood-serving retail, community space, offices, and open space. Ms. Flaherty also has served on many community advisory committees, institutional task forces, and board of directors for a number of community organizations in a volunteer leadership role along with teaching in Boston Public Schools and private schools.
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Ms. Flaherty has over 35 years of extensive community planning and development experience working in the Mission Hill community. In the early 1980s, she served as the Project Coordinator for the Back of the Hill CDC assisting in the development and implementation of political and organizational strategies enabling the development of affordable housing. In 2000, she was Director of Community Relations and Special Projects for Boston City Councilor Michael Ross overseeing all institutional and private development projects, zoning, and licensing in the district. From 2001 to 2004, Ms. Flaherty was a real estate project manager for the Jamaica Plain NDC. Previously she served as the MHNHS Senior Project Manager since 2004 and is responsible for the organization’s goal to redevelop MBTA Parcel 25.
Mayor Thomas Menino appointed her as a Trustee to the Boston Charitable Trust and as a member of the Appeals Review Board for the citywide Problem Properties Task Force. Ms. Flaherty serves on the Community Advisory Board of Boston Children’s Hospital. She was named a 2012 Unsung Heroine of Massachusetts and in 2010 received a Boston Neighborhood Fellows Award. Mayor Martin Walsh named her one of thirty-one EXTRAordinary Women of Boston. Ms. Flaherty holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and American Politics from Wheaton College and MA Teacher Certification from Emmanuel College. She received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Wheaton College in May 2013.
Ricardo Sanchez - Director of Real Estate
Mr. Sanchez had been Senior Housing Project Manager for the Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. since February 2015, and became Director of Real Estate in 2023. Since his hire, Ricardo has supported the Executive Director’s work to develop the Roxbury Crossing Senior Building/Maria Sanchez House, a 40-unit 100% affordable rental project for extremely low-income seniors, before assuming primary responsibility for the implementation of the development activities at Parcel 25 in Roxbury Crossing using HOME and other public and private resources. Currently, he is project managing the construction of 46 units of LIHTC affordable rental housing for families at P25 Phase 2.
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Mr. Sanchez has over 30 years of extensive community planning, affordable housing development and mortgage financing experience working in the greater Boston area. In the early 1990s, he served as Project Manager, and subsequently as Director of Housing, for the Neighborhood Development Corporation of Jamaica Plain, where he assisted in the formation of three limited equity cooperatives; the development of the Nate Smith House, a rehab/construction project for low income seniors, funded under the HUD Section 202 program; as well as Phase 1 of the Back of the Hill Community Housing Initiative. During the early 2000s, he was Director of Asset Management for the Codman Square NDC, Director of Home ownership at Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation, where he managed mortgage lending programs and first-time home buyer education. In the mid-2000s he was Loan Officer for Neighborhood of Affordable Housing in East Boston before spending several years in a similar capacity with Sovereign Bank. Prior to joining MHNHS, he served as Housing Development Project Manager for the City of Chelsea, where he managed the City’s cross departmental Targeted Code Enforcement Pilot Program.
Mr. Sanchez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Design from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a joint Master’s Degree in City Planning and Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.
Emily James - Community Engagement and Asset Manager
Emily James first joined Mission Hill Neighborhood Housing Services (MHNHS) in the fall of 2021 as a co-op student from Northeastern University. After completing her co-op, she continued part-time as a Residential and Administrative Assistant while finishing her studies. In July 2024, she transitioned to a full-time role as Community Engagement and Asset Manager.
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As Property and Asset Manager for HERE House, a six-unit affordable housing development, Emily is responsible for coordinating maintenance, preparing the annual operating budget, managing monthly expenses, and conducting general property checks. She also maintains close contact with the six senior residents to ensure they are thriving in their homes. One of the major capital projects at HERE House involved a complete fire system update. Emily oversees weekly walkthroughs at several MHNHS buildings, paying close attention to safety hazards, lease violations, and vandalism, while working with management to resolve any issues. She also supports the Director of Real Estate with property management duties related to new building acquisitions.
In her role as Community Engagement Coordinator, Emily is a familiar and friendly face in the neighborhood, always connecting with residents and the broader community. She plays a key role in engaging residents and linking them to community benefits offered by local institutions like allocating donations to those in need. Additionally, she provides more one-on-one resident services as part of the Eviction Prevention Team, Emily connects residents to resources such as Metro Housing RAFT, Home Start, and other programs aimed at alleviating burden.
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Emily received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Political Science with a minor in Human Services from Northeastern University in May 2024. During her time at MHNHS, she also completed an asset management course. Emily is certified in Mental Health First Aid and has extensive experience in opioid overdose prevention.
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