President, Chief Executive Officer & Director of Brookline Bank, Brookline Bancorp
Search every verified Darryl Fess interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Darryl Fess, president and CEO of Brookline Bank, has hosted a series of interviews on his program "Daryl & Company" with local leaders. In these conversations, Fess discussed the affordable housing crisis with Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston CEO James Kostaras, noting that the bank has a long relationship with the organization. He also spoke with Boston Age Strong Commissioner Emily Shea about the bank's partnership to train branches to better serve older customers. With Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rosalin Acosta, Fess discussed the state's low unemployment rate and workforce training programs. He interviewed Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology President Aisha Francis about the school's financial literacy partnership with the bank. Fess also spoke with New England Council CEO Jim Brett about the council's federal advocacy work, and with 2Life Communities President Amy Schectman about senior housing and the organization's COVID-19 response. Fess has described Brookline Bank as a full-service commercial bank with 25 branches in and around Boston that competes with both regional and large national banks. He stated that the bank's philosophy includes doing "whatever needs to be done to make things right" for customers. In a 2019 interview on Radio Entrepreneurs, Fess said he believes in a "no job is too small" approach and noted that he makes his cell phone number available to customers.
“The lack of affordable housing in the Greater Boston area has been cited by elected officials, the business community, and housing advocates as a mounting crisis that is not only urgent but requires a collective effort to address.”
“We focus on creating homeownership opportunities for low-income families, which we see as a way to break the cycle of poverty and build long-term wealth.”
“The need for affordable housing is so great that we currently have 36 homes in our pipeline, and I want to increase that number significantly because many deserving families are still waiting for a chance to own a home.”
“We rely entirely on the generosity of donors and self-finance our projects, as we have not received grants or subsidies from city or state governments.”
“Building homes where land is available at a discount from municipal governments is crucial, and we have been successful in securing land in neighborhoods like Roxbury, Dorchester, and Weston through competitive proposals.”
“The real estate market makes land acquisition challenging because land is very expensive, but we depend on local governments to sell us land at a discount, which is essential for our mission.”
“We are building in multiple neighborhoods including Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, Roslindale, Malden, and Weston, aiming to expand our impact as the need for affordable homes continues to grow.”
“Our goal is to build many more homes each year because the demand is so high, and we are committed to scaling our efforts to meet this urgent need.”
“Contributions to Habitat for Humanity can be made through donations on our website, habitatboston.org, which is vital because we do not receive government grants or subsidies.”
“We are self-financed and rely on the generosity of donors, which underscores the importance of community support in addressing the housing crisis.”
“Brookline Bank has partnered with your school to help students with financial literacy. This partnership offers a series of financial literacy coursework and trainings to students who want to better manage resources, build them for the future, and make sound financial decisions for the long run.”
“It is important that our graduates have the confidence when entering the job market to negotiate their salaries in a way that allows them to be self-sufficient and support their families. We want to ensure they have a place to get their questions answered and feel empowered to make good financial decisions.”
“Offering financial literacy education is a vital part of our wrap-around education approach, which combines technical training with life skills and professionalism. Being a good steward of your finances is definitely part of that holistic education.”
“Brookline Bank is proud to offer financial literacy training to students, recognizing how important it is to equip them with the skills to manage their finances effectively and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.”
“Our unemployment rate actually is hovering around 3.9 right now, and while we've recovered about 77% of the jobs lost during the pandemic, the recovery has been uneven, especially in gateway cities with higher unemployment rates like Lawrence.”
How can real estate developers help Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston build more homes for families in need? Learn more ...
Darryl & Company is a series of short, Zoom-based interviews with local business and community leaders and Brookline Bank's ...
Darryl & Company is a series of short, Zoom-based interviews with local business and community leaders and Brookline Bank's ...
Darryl & Company is a series of short, Zoom-based interviews with local business and community leaders and Brookline Bank's ...
Darryl & Company is a series of short, Zoom-based interviews with local business and community leaders and Brookline Bank's ...
Darryl & Company is a series of short, Zoom-based interviews with local business and community leaders and Brookline Bank's ...
Darryl & Company is a series of short, Zoom-based interviews with local business and community leaders and Brookline Bank's ...
Darryl & Company is a series of short, Zoom-based interviews with local business and community leaders and Brookline Bank's ...
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