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Al Becker, David Arnold, and Corey Anne Beach join Board’s Executive Committee Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS), a regional leader in providing services to prevent and end homelessness, has appointed new leadership on its Board of Directors. In its first meeting of 2024, the Board named Al Becker, Jack Conway’s President and Chief Operating Officer, as its Chair; David Arnold, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ Vice President of Total Rewards and HR Operations, as its Vice Chair; and Corey Anne Beach, The New York Times’ Director of Program Management, Audio, as its Secretary. FBMS, which serves 41 cities and towns on the South Shore and across Southern Massachusetts, is a non-profit that provides emergency shelter, supportive services, homelessness prevention programs, workforce development, and more than 700 permanent supportive housing units for individuals, families, and Veterans facing a housing crisis. As the governing body of FBMS, the 18-member volunteer Board develops the organization’s strategic plan, provides financial oversight, ensures legal compliance, and serves as ambassadors for the agency’s mission, among other responsibilities. Becker is the third Board Chair since the Quincy Interfaith Sheltering Coalition, known as Father Bill’s Place, merged with the MainSpring Coalition for the Homeless in Brockton to become FBMS in 2007. “We are very excited that Al, Dave, and Corey will be leading FBMS at an important time for our mission,” said FBMS President & CEO John Yazwinski. “Though they work in vastly different fields, all three are creative, compassionate, and forward-thinking leaders who are committed to pursuing evidence-based solutions that prioritize people and organizational sustainability.” Becker, a Norwood, Mass. resident, oversees day-to-day operations, marketing, education, relocation and corporate services at Jack Conway, a 68-year-old, family-owned real estate company serving Greater Boston, the South Shore, Cape Cod, and the South Coast. Becker also provides sales support to the company’s 22 offices and 700 agents. Becker, a graduate of the University of Rochester (N.Y.) who earned an MBA from Babson College, has worked in several roles since joining Jack Conway in 2007. He began as Director of Public Relations before a promotion to VP of Marketing/Operations in 2012, COO in 2017 and eventually President. Prior to Jack Conway, Becker worked for 15 years in the newspaper industry as a sportswriter, sports editor, news editor and ultimately, managing editor at GateHouse Media. “I'm honored to serve as Chairman and represent Jack Conway and our entire organization,” said Becker, who joined the FBMS Board in 2013. “Father Bill's & Mainspring believes nobody should be homeless and that aligns perfectly with what I help our agents do every day. My service to FBMS is an extension of the work Jack and Patti Conway helped start, and Carol Bulman and her family have continued.” Al’s new role as Board Chair is the latest in four-decades-long history of Jack Conway leading FBMS. In the early 1980s, Jack and Patti Conway helped found the mission at FBMS after noticing a growing number of individuals and families in the Brockton area facing housing hardships. The Conway family and Jack Conway company have been leading partners ever since. “On behalf of the entire Conway/Bulman family and the members of Jack Conway, I am grateful for the service Al has provided and will continue to provide Father Bills/Mainspring House,” said Carol Bulman, CEO and Chairman for Jack Conway. “As a company and family that helps people achieve the dream of a home, it’s our mission to assist those who need a hand to achieve this goal due to life circumstance. I’m grateful for Al’s leadership and we are committed to a future of supporting FBMS selfless outreach to our community.” Arnold, a Marine veteran who earned a degree in politics from St. Andrews University in North Carolina, has been with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts since 2013. As VP, Total Rewards and HR Operations he is responsible for driving the employee value proposition, ensuring BCBSMA’s compensation and benefits programs attract, motivate and retain talented associates while remaining supportive of the company’s culture of well-being. “As a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, service to others is important to me,” said Arnold. “It is both an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of FBMS, in support of its mission, its clients and the communities in which it operates. Working together, we can help people who are struggling with homelessness, or are at risk of homelessness, achieve self-sufficiency.” Prior to joining BCBS, Arnold held various leadership roles at prominent companies, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Citizens Financial Group, and Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company. Beach, who earned her undergraduate degree in community and international development from the University of Vermont and her MBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Business, was hired by The New York Times in 2020. She has been at the forefront of the media company’s audio expansion, launching the NYT Audio App and enhancing audio presence within NYT News Apps. Her role involves harnessing cutting-edge technology to amplify audio content’s reach and impact. Beach, previously worked at Accenture, where she led teams to deliver digital transformation initiatives for global clients. Earlier this year, Beach earned an AI Strategy certification from Cornell University. “Stepping into the role of Secretary on the Executive Committee of Father Bill’s & MainSpring marks a significant milestone in my decade-long journey with this remarkable organization,” said Beach, an FBMS Board member since 2014. “Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of our collective efforts to combat homelessness, driven by an unwavering commitment to dignity, compassion, and innovation.” In November 2023, the agency opened the Yawkey Housing Resource Center (HRC) in Quincy, comprised of a day center, an emergency shelter, and 30 efficiency apartments. The day center — a new offering for FBMS and a key part of its strategic plan — provides wraparound supports, re-housing assistance, and co-located programs designed to reduce the overall reliance on overnight shelter among individual adults facing a housing crisis. The HRC model, which FBMS is replicating with a new development under construction in Brockton, has been hailed by community leaders as a national model in the fight to end homelessness. As Chair, Becker succeeds Dr. Michael Kryzanek, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Special Assistant to the President at Bridgewater State University. Arnold succeeds Mary Catherine Finn, PNP, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Brockton Neighborhood Health Center. And Beach succeeds Joyce Hogan, Program Coordinator at Valentine Street Program for Women. James Oslin, CPA, a partner at Jesson, Oslin & Associates, LLP, continues to serve as the Board Treasurer, a role he’s held since 2012. About Father Bill’s & MainSpring Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) is the leading provider of services to prevent and end homelessness in Southern Massachusetts. The agency, founded in the early 1980s by a group of interfaith and community leaders, helps approximately 5,000 people annually who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. FBMS, a proud partner of the United Way of Greater Plymouth County and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency with administrative offices in Quincy and Brockton and program offices throughout Southern Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.helpfbms.org.
Al Becker, David Arnold, and Corey Anne Beach join Board’s Executive Committee
Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS), a regional leader in providing services to prevent and end homelessness, has appointed new leadership on its Board of Directors. In its first meeting of 2024, the Board named Al Becker, Jack Conway’s President and Chief Operating Officer, as its Chair; David Arnold, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ Vice President of Total Rewards and HR Operations, as its Vice Chair; and Corey Anne Beach, The New York Times’ Director of Program Management, Audio, as its Secretary.
FBMS, which serves 41 cities and towns on the South Shore and across Southern Massachusetts, is a non-profit that provides emergency shelter, supportive services, homelessness prevention programs, workforce development, and more than 700 permanent supportive housing units for individuals, families, and Veterans facing a housing crisis.
As the governing body of FBMS, the 18-member volunteer Board develops the organization’s strategic plan, provides financial oversight, ensures legal compliance, and serves as ambassadors for the agency’s mission, among other responsibilities. Becker is the third Board Chair since the Quincy Interfaith Sheltering Coalition, known as Father Bill’s Place, merged with the MainSpring Coalition for the Homeless in Brockton to become FBMS in 2007.
“We are very excited that Al, Dave, and Corey will be leading FBMS at an important time for our mission,” said FBMS President & CEO John Yazwinski. “Though they work in vastly different fields, all three are creative, compassionate, and forward-thinking leaders who are committed to pursuing evidence-based solutions that prioritize people and organizational sustainability.”
Becker, a Norwood, Mass. resident, oversees day-to-day operations, marketing, education, relocation and corporate services at Jack Conway, a 68-year-old, family-owned real estate company serving Greater Boston, the South Shore, Cape Cod, and the South Coast. Becker also provides sales support to the company’s 22 offices and 700 agents.
Becker, a graduate of the University of Rochester (N.Y.) who earned an MBA from Babson College, has worked in several roles since joining Jack Conway in 2007. He began as Director of Public Relations before a promotion to VP of Marketing/Operations in 2012, COO in 2017 and eventually President. Prior to Jack Conway, Becker worked for 15 years in the newspaper industry as a sportswriter, sports editor, news editor and ultimately, managing editor at GateHouse Media.
“I'm honored to serve as Chairman and represent Jack Conway and our entire organization,” said Becker, who joined the FBMS Board in 2013. “Father Bill's & Mainspring believes nobody should be homeless and that aligns perfectly with what I help our agents do every day. My service to FBMS is an extension of the work Jack and Patti Conway helped start, and Carol Bulman and her family have continued.”
Al’s new role as Board Chair is the latest in four-decades-long history of Jack Conway leading FBMS. In the early 1980s, Jack and Patti Conway helped found the mission at FBMS after noticing a growing number of individuals and families in the Brockton area facing housing hardships. The Conway family and Jack Conway company have been leading partners ever since.
“On behalf of the entire Conway/Bulman family and the members of Jack Conway, I am grateful for the service Al has provided and will continue to provide Father Bills/Mainspring House,” said Carol Bulman, CEO and Chairman for Jack Conway. “As a company and family that helps people achieve the dream of a home, it’s our mission to assist those who need a hand to achieve this goal due to life circumstance. I’m grateful for Al’s leadership and we are committed to a future of supporting FBMS selfless outreach to our community.”
Arnold, a Marine veteran who earned a degree in politics from St. Andrews University in North Carolina, has been with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts since 2013. As VP, Total Rewards and HR Operations he is responsible for driving the employee value proposition, ensuring BCBSMA’s compensation and benefits programs attract, motivate and retain talented associates while remaining supportive of the company’s culture of well-being.
“As a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, service to others is important to me,” said Arnold. “It is both an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of FBMS, in support of its mission, its clients and the communities in which it operates. Working together, we can help people who are struggling with homelessness, or are at risk of homelessness, achieve self-sufficiency.”
Prior to joining BCBS, Arnold held various leadership roles at prominent companies, including Royal Bank of Scotland, Citizens Financial Group, and Wachovia, a Wells Fargo company.
Beach, who earned her undergraduate degree in community and international development from the University of Vermont and her MBA from Boston University's Questrom School of Business, was hired by The New York Times in 2020. She has been at the forefront of the media company’s audio expansion, launching the NYT Audio App and enhancing audio presence within NYT News Apps. Her role involves harnessing cutting-edge technology to amplify audio content’s reach and impact.
Beach, previously worked at Accenture, where she led teams to deliver digital transformation initiatives for global clients. Earlier this year, Beach earned an AI Strategy certification from Cornell University.
“Stepping into the role of Secretary on the Executive Committee of Father Bill’s & MainSpring marks a significant milestone in my decade-long journey with this remarkable organization,” said Beach, an FBMS Board member since 2014. “Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of our collective efforts to combat homelessness, driven by an unwavering commitment to dignity, compassion, and innovation.”
In November 2023, the agency opened the Yawkey Housing Resource Center (HRC) in Quincy, comprised of a day center, an emergency shelter, and 30 efficiency apartments. The day center — a new offering for FBMS and a key part of its strategic plan — provides wraparound supports, re-housing assistance, and co-located programs designed to reduce the overall reliance on overnight shelter among individual adults facing a housing crisis.
The HRC model, which FBMS is replicating with a new development under construction in Brockton, has been hailed by community leaders as a national model in the fight to end homelessness.
As Chair, Becker succeeds Dr. Michael Kryzanek, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Special Assistant to the President at Bridgewater State University. Arnold succeeds Mary Catherine Finn, PNP, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Brockton Neighborhood Health Center. And Beach succeeds Joyce Hogan, Program Coordinator at Valentine Street Program for Women.
James Oslin, CPA, a partner at Jesson, Oslin & Associates, LLP, continues to serve as the Board Treasurer, a role he’s held since 2012.
About Father Bill’s & MainSpring Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) is the leading provider of services to prevent and end homelessness in Southern Massachusetts. The agency, founded in the early 1980s by a group of interfaith and community leaders, helps approximately 5,000 people annually who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. FBMS, a proud partner of the United Way of Greater Plymouth County and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency with administrative offices in Quincy and Brockton and program offices throughout Southern Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.helpfbms.org.