March 1, 2013 The Irreplaceable Jeffrey Gonyeau
After 12 years, HBI bids farewell on March 8th to Jeffrey Gonyeau, our Senior Program Manager for the Historic Neighborhood Centers program. Jeff has accepted a new position as the fundraising coordinator for the comprehensive restoration of All Saints, Ashmont in Dorchester. While the project at All Saints is a wonderful opportunity for Jeff at a place that is also very special to him, his departure is a big loss for HBI and, in some respects, the end of an era.
Jeff has been a steady and loyal presence here since 2001, and has bridged excellence in property and project management with HBI administration and community engagement. Jeff has fulfilled many important roles here at HBI over the years, managing such projects as the Alvah Kittredge Park Rowhouses in Highland Park, the Spooner Lambert House?s final stages of rehabilitation and unit sales, and early feasibility studies on the Hotel Dartmouth, Roslindale Substation, and upper floors of the Hayden Building. He was also the master property manager for the Old Corner Bookstore and, in 2006 and 2007, was HBI?s acting Executive Director, bringing to completion HBI?s strategic plan, and ensuring that the organization transitioned to new leadership effectively.
In the last five years alone, Jeff has launched and delivered the Historic Neighborhood Centers Program in Fields Corner and Hyde Park, completed rehabilitation projects, and prospected for development opportunities for our project pipeline that we expect will be a source of interesting work over the next few years. And at all times, he’s maintained the highest standards in his work, built valuable relationships for HBI with property owners and community partners, and brought immense patience, humor and camaraderie to our team. Replacing Jeff is a challenging prospect and certainly only a professional exercise. It is very clear to everyone at HBI that, like a fine historic building, it is impossible to replace the irreplaceable.