Boston, MA John Keith, chairman and CEO of Keith Construction and Keith Properties, and Shelley Hoon Keith, president of Hoon Companies, Inc., will receive the Lawyers Clearinghouse Leadership Award at a reception on June 1 at the office of law firm Nixon Peabody.
Lawyers Clearinghouse, a nonprofit that connects pro bono lawyers with nonprofits and people in need, presents the Leadership Award annually to individuals who have shown a devotion to strengthening their communities through work in the nonprofit and legal communities or through the creation and preservation of affordable housing.
Event co-chairs Larry Curtis, president and managing partner at WinnDevelopment, and Howard Cohen, chairman of the board at Beacon Communities will present the award to the Keiths.
“John and Shelley have displayed a lifelong commitment to affordable housing, education, and supporting the nonprofit sector,” said Cohen. “They share the values that drive the mission of the Lawyers Clearinghouse and epitomize service to their community. Their passion, leadership, and generosity are truly inspiring and they are so deserving of this honor.”
Funds raised through this event will be used to support the Clearinghouse’s pro bono programs, which provide legal support to nonprofits and the homeless, as well as the Access to Justice Fellows Program, which engages senior attorneys in volunteer projects.
The Lawyers Clearinghouse was founded in 1988 by the Boston Bar Association and the Massachusetts Bar Association to provide legal support to nonprofit organizations working to promote affordable housing and alleviate homelessness. The Clearinghouse founders believed they could harness the skills of the private bar to address legal issues keeping nonprofits from reaching their full potential, allowing them to impact more lives and communities. Since then, the Clearinghouse has expanded the scope of its services to include legal clinics for the homeless at shelters in the Boston area, educational workshops for nonprofits, and a program to engage retired lawyers and judges in pro bono pursuits.
