Our Staff

Jesse Kanson-Benanav, Executive Director

Grew Up: Saint Paul, MN
Currently: Jamaica Plain, Boston

Jesse has over 15 years of experience in real estate development, public policy, and community engagement. Prior to joining AHMA, he served as the senior project manager at B’nai B’rith Housing New England where he managed affordable housing work including the design, permitting, financing, and construction of new developments. 

In 2019, he was awarded the Housing Rising Star Award from Metro Housing. Champions of Housing honors leaders in our community who share our passion and commitment to ensuring that everyone in Greater Boston has a place to call home.

Jesse is a noted community organizer and founded ABC Cambridge, a community-based organization advocating for increased housing production and smart-growth development in Cambridge and Greater Boston. As a result of his successful leadership of ABC, Jesse was recognized by the Boston Globe Magazine in 2016 as a “game changer” for his and ABC’s positive contributions to improving the Massachusetts economy. Jesse has a Master in City Planning degree from MIT.

Cheryl Daniel, Senior Communications & Media Advocacy Manager

Grew Up: Oklahoma City, OK
Currently: Boston, MA

Cheryl Daniel (she/her) is the Senior Manager of Communications and Media Advocacy at Abundant Housing MA (AHMA). Her role focuses on internal and external communications for the organization with a specific focus on strategic communications and media advocacy. With her storytelling background, Cheryl combines her expertise of journalism and advocacy to amplify communities and activists voices. Cheryl is an Oklahoma native and a proud HBCU graduate of Dillard University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism. She also obtained her Master’s degree from Northeastern University in Media Advocacy. She is devoted to advocating for black and brown communities around food insecurity, housing, and media representation. Cheryl is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. In her spare time, Cheryl is an avid music lover, self-taught home chef, and always laughing with her friends & family.

Mike Kriesberg, Policy and Advocacy Manager

Grew Up: West Roxbury, MA
Currently: West Roxbury, MA

Michael Kriesberg is the Policy and Advocacy Manager at Abundant Housing Massachusetts (AHMA). Since joining AHMA in August of 2022, Michael’s work has focused on developing AHMA’s policy agenda and building a diverse coalition in support of housing abundance. 

Mike joined AHMA as he earned his Masters in Public Administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. As a student, he took courses across a broad range of topics such as, policy development and analysis, financial management, strategic communications, and political strategy. For his Capstone Project, he worked with his fellow students and the Trenton, New Jersey Police Department to develop a series of recommendations for a recovery community center for individuals with substance use disorders. Prior to joining AHMA, Mike was an AmeriCorps VISTA at Enterprise Community Partners and a fundraiser at the New Israel Fund.

Elvira Mora, Boston Organizer

Grew up: Roslindale, Boston
Currently: Roslindale, Boston

Elvira Mora is Abundant Housing Massachusetts’s Boston Organizer, focusing on organizing around Mayor Wu’s Squares + Streets initiative, zoning modernization, citywide ADUs and more. As a first generation, queer Latina and lifelong Boston resident, she deeply understands the intersectionality that housing applies to communities. She has a background in campaign organizing in and around the greater Boston area, most recently managing Mayor Patrick Keefe’s campaign in Revere. Her own housing story of growing up and still residing in a multi-generational, triple-decker home has fueled her passion for community building, especially in the housing sphere. Mora lives in her home neighborhood of Roslindale with her blind dog, Moonpie. In her spare time, she creates landscapes with acrylic and watercolor paints.

Julia Davidovitz, Regional Organizer

Grew Up: Belmont, MA
Currently: Brighton, MA

Julia Davidovitz is excited to join Abundant Housing Massachusetts as a Regional Organizer to support their work organizing around the MBTA Communities Law. She most recently managed Sam Montaño’s successful State Representative campaign in Boston. Prior to that, she worked on a Covid-19 vaccine distribution campaign funded by the NYC Department of Health, and was a Field Organizer on the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential campaign. She grew up in Belmont, MA, received a Bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, and currently lives in Boston.

Joyce Mandell, Regional Organizer

Grew Up: Newton, MA
Currently: Worcester, MA

Joyce Mandell is excited to join with other housing activists in the AHMA network to advocate for abundant housing for all in Massachusetts.  As a livable communities activist for more than 30 years, she has worn many hats – mom, community organizer, sociologist, community development specialist, urban studies professor at Worcester State University and writer of a blog called Jane Jacobs in the Woo. She has lived in Worcester since 1995 , first moving there to serve as the economic development director of Oak Hill Community Development Corporation.  She received her doctorate in sociology from Boston College in 2008, writing her dissertation about network organizing as a community development strategy modeled at Lawrence Community Works, an innovative community development corporation. A self-proclaimed urban geek, she loves exploring baystate cities and towns off-the-beaten-path and reading about parking, transportation, housing and urban design just for fun! She believes in the power of praxis, the importance of real community and the truth to be found both in stories and stillness.

Molly Goodman, President

Grew Up: Jamaica Plain, Boston
Currently: Jamaica Plain, Boston

Beyazmin Jimenez, President Emerita

Grew Up: Lawrence, MA
Currently: Jamaica Plain, Boston

Andrea Aldana, Clerk

Grew Up: Miami Beach, FL
Currently: Eastham, MA
Employer: Community Development Partnership (Cape Cod)

Burhan Azeem, Treasurer

Grew Up: Staten Island, NY
Currently: Cambridge, MA
Employer: Cambridge City Councilor

Jonathan Berk

Grew Up: Swampscott, MA
Currently: Salem, MA

Jarred Johnson

Grew Up: Oklahoma City, OK
Currently: Somerville, MA
Employer: TransitMatters

Cathy Mercado

Grew Up: Lowell, MA
Currently: Lowell, MA
Employer: Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership

Jacob Oppenheim, Vice President

Grew Up: Annandale, VA
Currently: South End, Boston

Elijah Romulus

Grew Up: Brockton, MA
Currently: Taunton, MA

Carl Howell

Grew Up: Exeter, New Hampshire
Currently: Worcester, MA
Employer: Community Teamwork