As a mother of young children, Maureen Menconi was looking to work for an organization that helped people while offering flexibility.

She found that with South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation. She is in her 30th year with the organization that is dedicated to preserving and creating affordable housing in the neighborhood.

“You don’t stay in this job if you don’t love what you do,” said Maureen, SBNDC’s Finance Manager. “I love my job and the people I work with.”

She feels compassion for the people that the organization helps. “For me, I am always drawn to the mothers who, through no fault of their own, are in a position where their housing is in jeopardy, like from a job loss or divorce.”

Maureen is grateful to work for an organization that puts a roof over the heads of these low-income mothers as well as low-income veterans, seniors, and families.

“Maureen has been a huge asset to South Boston NDC for 30 years,” said Donna Brown, executive director. “Her stellar work has helped us grow this organization.”

In 1992, Maureen and her husband, Richard, were living in Andrew Square and she had just had her second child. She didn’t want to go back full time to the company she was with so she looked for part-time work, answering an ad for a part-time bookkeeper in the South Boston Tribune.

She was hired by then Executive Director Marty Nee, who allowed Maureen to work around her children’s schedules at what was then known as South Boston Community Housing. She had two more children (four in five years) and worked under two more executive directors. And she’s still here. 

“I’ve worked for three wonderful executive directors,” she said. 

Donna , the current ED, is also a mother and knows how important it is that her employees have the flexibility to stay home if a child was sick or leave if their child has an event at school, Maureen said.

“I have the best of both worlds.”

As her children got older, Maureen started working full time, with the same flexibility. And SBNDC is keeping her busy. When she started, the organization had two buildings with a handful of tenants. Now SBNDC manages 171 tenants.

“Donna has taken the organization to the next level,” said Maureen, who moved to Canton with her expanding family. “We just keep growing and it's funny, we just keep adding. I would have never thought when I started that we would have as many units as we do today. It's really, again, a testament to Donna, as well as the prior executive directors and the board to really keep this place relevant and expanding to help those who want to stay here.”

Maureen, who graduated from Suffolk University with a degree in business administration with a concentration on accounting, takes care of SBNDC’s overall finances, including reconciling rents, keeping track of rent payments, budgeting for all the buildings, and so much more.

“It's kind of like second nature because it's been so long,” she said. 

Maureen’s favorite part of the job? “The camaraderie in the office. I love when tenants come in. I love listening to their stories.”