[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14447-14448]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO DAVID WOOD

 Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 
career of David Wood, the founding Executive Director of Affordable 
Housing, Education and Development (AHEAD), Inc. in Littleton, New 
Hampshire. After over 20 years of hard work to make affordable housing 
and home ownership a reality for hundreds of NH families, David will 
step down from his position at the end of this year. I would like to 
take this opportunity to thank him for his remarkable commitment to 
helping those in need.
  Since 1991, AHEAD has provided safe and affordable rental housing, 
family support, and financial education to thousands of people living 
in rural northern New Hampshire. Under David's direction, the 
organization now owns and operates 304 units of affordable multifamily 
rental housing in nine communities in our State. Furthermore, AHEAD has 
assisted more than 600 families buying their first homes and helped 
rescue another 250 households facing foreclosures.
  AHEAD has received numerous awards over the last 20 years in 
recognition of the positive impact that David and his staff have 
brought to our North Country. These accolades include the USDA Rural 
Development New Hampshire Partner of the Year in 2002, the Federal Home 
Loan Bank-Boston Partner of the Year, and the Citizens Bank Champion in 
Action in 2005.
  In addition to his full-time responsibilities at AHEAD, David has 
served on the Board of the New Hampshire Community Development Finance 
Authority for 20 years, spending four of them as its chair. He has been 
an active member of the National Neighbor Works Association and spent 6 
years on the Advisory Council for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. 
David has also been a crucial voice in Housing Action New Hampshire's 
advocacy efforts to promote affordable housing across our State.
  These impressive accomplishments demonstrate David's dedication to 
improving the lives of families in Coos and northern Grafton Counties. 
I am sure that David will modestly attribute this success to his 
talented and dedicated team of staff and supporters, but it was his 
vision for community development that led to the founding of AHEAD. His 
belief in stable families as the foundation of a vibrant community

[[Page 14448]]

resulted in projects like the McKee Inn in Lancaster and Littleton Town 
& Country Family Housing. Because of his commitment to this cause, 
hundreds of families in New Hampshire now have access to safe, warm, 
and affordable homes.
  Put simply, Mr. President, David has made New Hampshire a better 
place to live and raise a family. I know that the great energy and 
spirit with which he has led AHEAD for the past 20 years will endure at 
this enormously successful non-profit organization. I congratulate 
David on all his achievements and wish him the best in his 
retirement.

                          ____________________