Our LEADERSHIP Team

Founder

William Connolly founded Connolly and Partners in 2005. He has worked in real estate since 1972. 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, he has been involved in the acquisition, management, and development of nearly 125,000 units of housing which if added together would be conservatively valued at approximately $10 billion. Larger individual assets within this group range from a currently owned 501-unit site in Somerville, Massachusetts to a 3,000-unit property that was sold by its syndicator in Springhill, Maryland. 

Through this experience, William has come to know that non-profit organizations make good partners. While working alongside housing authorities, service organizations, and resident groups his mission has always stayed the same—to preserve and create affordable housing wherever it is needed. Across the country, he has been a leader in forming successful public-private partnerships to bring about the physical and financial turnaround of HUD foreclosures, third-party assets, and other distressed properties.  

Having written and spoken widely in support of affordable housing, he values working with non-profits and governmental entities. He is a long-time supporter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, CPM designee with the Institute of Real Estate Management, and licensed Real Estate Broker.

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

Managing Director

Andrew Comollo joined First Hartford Corporation in 2009 and has served as the Vice President since 2019. In addition to his role at First Hartford, he is the Managing Director of Connolly and Partners, a subsidiary focused on the preservation and development of affordable, workforce, and mixed-income housing. Andrew oversees our multifamily operations from development to asset management.

With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Andrew has a broad background in multifamily and retail development. His experience ranges from strategic new market entry for national retailers to the full rehabilitation of Clarendon Hill Towers—our flagship 501-unit multifamily development 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 holds degrees in Economics and Finance, as well as Insurance Finance, from the University of Hartford’s Barney School of Business. He is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut’s School of Law. 

Director of Property Management

Linda Hamilton joined our affiliate, FHRC Management Corporation, in 2008 and now leads this division. During her 35-plus-year career, she managed teams at WinnResidential, Cruz Management Company, and Maloney Properties which combined included overseeing 10,000 units of housing.

Specializing in working with resident-owned affordable developments, Linda has an extensive background in HUD multifamily affordable housing, Section 42 LIHTC programs, as well as state and federally funded initiatives.  

She has successfully managed the renovation of over 5,000 units of housing within her career and controlled development budgets that exceeded $100 million. 

Today, Linda oversees the daily operations of our 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. 

Linda attended the University of California Irvine studying World Languages.

Director of Development

Eric Kuczarski joined Connolly and Partners in 2023. He has more than 20 years of experience in the multifamily tax credit investment and development industry and currently oversees our multifamily tax credit development initiatives.

He previously held the position of Senior Development Director at Dakota Partners. Over a 10-year period, Eric successfully managed the closing, construction, and lease-up of approximately 800 units in 13 projects located in New England and Virginia.

Eric enjoys throwing himself into the myriad of opportunities and challenges inherent with developing affordable housing. From financial structuring to design review to permitting and more, Eric is always working creatively with his team to produce first class housing.

He graduated from UMASS-Lowell with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Eric also attended the University of Pennsylvania where he obtained a Master's Degree in Historic Preservation and, in partnership with the Wharton School, a certificate in Real Estate Design & Development.

Asset Manager & Development Associate

Sven van den Dungen joined FHRC Management Corporation, First Hartford's property management company, in 2017 as the Assistant Property Manager for Clarendon Hill Towers.

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

He has extensive experience with HUD multifamily affordable housing developments, Section 42 LIHTC programs, as well as state and federally funded public housing initiatives.

As an Accredited Residential Manager with the Institute of Real Estate Management, Sven actively assisted in the daily operation and management of our largest multifamily property. 

Today, Sven is responsible for tasks related to asset management, acquisitions, underwriting, financing, and development of our multifamily portfolio.

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