Our LEADERSHIP Team

Managing Partner

William Connolly founded Connolly and Partners in 2005 and serves as the Managing Partner of our affordable housing group. He has worked in real estate since 1972. Through the years he has focused on many types of projects, but there has never been a year he did not work in affordable housing. Before creating the firm, William was an executive with WinnCompanies, Liberty Real Estate, Claremont Management, First Winthrop Corporation, and the John M. Corcoran Company.

Over the course of his career, William has been involved in the acquisition, management, and development of over 122,000 units of housing which if added together would be conservatively valued at approximately $9.9 billion. Larger individual assets within this group range from a currently owned 500-unit site in Somerville, MA to a 3,000-unit property that was rehabbed and sold by its syndicator in Springhill, Maryland. Through this experience, he has come to know that non-profit organizations make good partners. While working alongside housing authorities, resident groups, and charitable organizations, his mission has always stayed the same - the preservation and creation of affordable housing wherever it is. 

Throughout the country, William has been a leader in the forming of successful public-private partnerships to bring about the physical and financial turnaround of HUD foreclosures, third-party assets, and other distressed properties. He has worked to preserve these assets and generate new income with the goal of maintaining and increasing our nation’s affordable portfolio.  William has written and spoken widely on affordable housing and the value of public-private partnerships. He is a Real Estate Broker, a CPM designee with the Institute of Real Estate Management, and a long-time supporter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. 

William is a graduate of the Economics program at Boston State College - now a part of the University of Massachusetts.

Management and Operations

Linda Hamilton joined our affiliate, FHRC Management Corporation, in 2008.  She now leads our growing management division.  She brings more than 35 years of experience in housing management to our team and serves as the Senior Vice President of FHRC Management Corporation. Linda has served in a leadership capacity at WinnResidential, Cruz Management Company, Maloney Properties, and the National Corporation of Housing Partnerships.

Specializing in working with resident-owned affordable housing developments, Linda has extensive experience in HUD multi-family affordable housing programs, Section 42 - LIHTC programs, as well as state and federally funded public housing initiatives.  She has developed and managed over 10,000 units of housing during her career. 

Linda now oversees the daily operations of the management company and professional staff located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. She connects with our residents as individuals, provides them with support, and works each day to better their communities. 

She has successfully managed the renovation of over 5,000 units of housing within her career and has controlled development budgets that have exceeded $100 million. Within these projects, she directed temporary and permanent resident relocation planning and contracts, lease-up, and the recruitment and onboarding of new staff.  Linda also created a non-profit organization, Mission Works, to create opportunities and provide support for residents living at the Hope VI development she managed to advance opportunities through access to education and career development. 

Linda attended the University of California at Irvine studying World Languages.

Acquisitions and Development 

Jennifer Connolly joined Connolly and Partners in 2009.  She has worked in the industry for over 20 years in management, development, and sustainable design.  She now oversees acquisitions and community development.  Earlier in her career, Jennifer held senior positions with our affiliate FHRC Management Corporation, Equity Residential, the WinnCompanies, Commonwealth Design Group, and Lizotte Interiors.

She uses a systematic approach to gain a return on investment. The ability to oversee complex tasks, lead high-performing teams, and effectively represent the interests of residents has been exhibited throughout her career.  Currently, she provides analysis for site selection and guides the competitive proposal process. Within the portfolio, she coordinates the delivery of services to over 1,000 households and fosters community partnerships to meet those needs. 

A graduate of Fairfield University with a degree in Politics, her experiences in the field are complemented by her credentials including the LEED Green Associate designation from the U.S. Green Building Council, licensure as a Real Estate Broker, and HUD Resident Services Coordination certification. 

Jennifer is an affordable housing advocate and serves New England Resident Service Coordinators as a Board Member, instructor, and conference planner. She was appointed by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials to serve on the Community Revitalization and Development Committee and is a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management, the American Association of Service Coordinators, and the American Planning Association. 

Jennifer is pursuing her master’s degree in Community and Economic Development at Pennsylvania State University.

Acquisitions and Development

Andrew Comollo first joined our affiliate, First Hartford Corporation, in 2009.  He has been in the field for more than 10 years, working in commercial real estate before transitioning to affordable housing and multifamily development. 

Prior to rejoining our team, he served as the Vice President of Lisciotti Development Corporation where he worked to acquire, develop, and manage retail commercial properties.  He has directly been involved in the development of projects that have created over $400 million of value during his career. 

His experiences range from strategic new market entry for national retailers to the full rehabilitation of Clarendon Hill Towers - our flagship 500-unit multi-family property located in Somerville, Massachusetts. 

Andrew has found his work in affordable housing allows him to utilize his real estate skill set in a way that positively impacts the communities we serve and the lives of our residents. 

Andrew graduated with degrees in Economics and Finance as well as Insurance Finance from the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business. 

Acquisitions and Development 

Sven van den Dungen joined our affiliate, FHRC Management Corporation, in 2017. Throughout his career at First Hartford, he has focused on the management of multifamily assets.

Prior to joining the team, Sven was active in the management of senior housing in downtown Boston for Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH). 

He has extensive experience in HUD multi-family affordable housing programs, Section 42 – LIHTC programs, as well as state and federally funded public housing programs.

As an Accredited Residential Manager designee with the Institute of Real Estate Management, Sven actively assists in the daily operation and management of our largest multi-family property located in Somerville, Massachusetts. 

In transitioning to development, Sven is responsible for assisting in tasks related to acquisitions, underwriting, financing, development, and management of our multifamily portfolio.

Sven graduated with a degree in Marketing and Business Management from the University of Ghent in Belgium.