Cathy Draine, Board Member

Cathy L. Draine is a seasoned community development professional committed to positively engaging and supporting vulnerable communities. Currently, she works at UHM Properties and oversees the Resident Services department and the company's nonprofit, the Neighborhood Network Center. Her achievements include bringing the Children's Defense Fund Freedom Schools Summer Program to Boston. Under her leadership, the program has grown from forty to over two hundred children and their families.Prior positions include a program manager at the historic Freedom House in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She has also held direct service and administrative positions with community-based organizations, including Boys and Girls Clubs in Philadelphia, PA, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She holds master's degrees from both Brandeis University and Emerson College.

Her past has also shaped Cathy's work. She aged out of the foster care system after being removed from her mom's custody at ten years old. She graduated from a Catholic boarding school as a valedictorian and entered college at Hollins University at seventeen. She credits her early success to the power of education and support systems to make a difference in the lives of children. Cathy has one daughter, Ailey, who is seven years old.