Boston, MA Beacon Communities, has appointed Toya Irish as senior vice president, community relations. Irish will report to Dara Kovel, Beacon’s chief executive officer, and will assume new responsibilities that take advantage of her experience working with elected officials, public agencies, resident advisory boards, community groups, and non-profit partners.

Irish will collaborate with Beacon’s property management and development teams to develop and maintain relationships with community leaders and stakeholders across markets where Beacon has a presence, including Boston, New York City and the mid-Atlantic markets. 

She will also be working to increase Beacon’s achievements engaging Minority Business Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises.

Kovel said, “Toya’s ability to create relationships to expand our mission is unparalleled. This skill, combined with her knowledge of our industry, will accelerate our ability to develop stronger community relationships, ultimately allowing us to serve our current and future residents’ needs more effectively. We are excited for her to step into this new role and cannot imagine anyone better suited to represent our company’s community-based interests as we continue to grow.”

 Irish joined Beacon as a property manager in 2006, and has held numerous roles during her tenure, including senior property manager, area manager, assistant regional vice president, and regional vice president. She was named a senior vice president in April 2014. Irish has provided consistent leadership to some of Beacon’s most challenging projects and possesses a vast knowledge of the industry’s most complex financing programs. Irish was an active board member of NEAHMA for many years, a testament to her passion for Beacon’s mission. She currently serves on Virginia Tech’s Property Management Program Advisory Board, and on the board of Communities of Color, a Boston-based group that works to advance racial equality. She is also a delegate for the Democratic Party in Massachusetts.