Staff Directory

Shirronda Almeida

Director, Mel King Institute

Shirronda Almeida, Director of The Mel King Institute for Community Building, serves on MACDC’s management team and supports Community Development organizations in improving their capacity to reach their mission. She joined the team in 2002, as a Program Coordinator and later served as Membership Director. Now, under the auspices of the Institute launched in 2009, she manages the robust professional education program, Alliance – Advancing Community Development by Confronting Racism, the Community Development Mentoring Program, and the annual MKI Breakfast event. The Institute engages over 500 people annually and partners to offer programs for professionals, AmeriCorps members, Board members, residents, and other local leaders in community development.

Shirronda is a gubernatorial appointee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and on the boards of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, and Center for the Living City. In 2017, she was presented with the Nancy Nye Memorial Award by Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development. Prior to her time at MACDC, Shirronda worked in youth development programming, community organizing, prevention and public art programs. She holds a Master's degree in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. from Simmons University. Shirronda is Reiki Master and a registered yoga instructor.

Email: shirrondaa@macdc.org
Phone: (617) 379-5923

Kavi Neva

Program and Communications Coordinator

As a new Massachusetts resident with a passion for community building, Kavi sees his role at Mel King Institute as an opportunity to serve and familiarize himself with his new community, while also engaging with the professional side of the nonprofit field after several years of volunteer experience with organizations in New Hampshire, Quebec, and Massachusetts. Kavi began his career at Mel King Institute with a LISC Massachusetts AmeriCorps fellowship and eventually became their Program and Communications Coordinator after finishing his service term. 

Kavi is a recent graduate from Concordia University in Montreal, where he was a Sustainability Ambassador during his final year. He holds a bachelor's in English literature, minoring in human rights studies and also has experience working in healthcare and journalism.

Outside of work, he enjoys riding bikes, playing disc golf, and making clothes out of secondhand materials. 

Email: kavin@macdc.org

Phone: (617) 379 5935

Rodolfo Saldarriaga-Huallpa

Program Support Consultant

Rodolfo Saldarriaga finalized his studies in Community Psychology at the University of San Marcos, in Peru. After working for some years there in community outreach and youth-related work he immigrated to the USA, where he started working as a housing case manager and eventually went back to the scope of community-related work

Rodolfo performs different roles at different organizations concerning housing, leadership development, and community engagement. At the Mel King Institute, his primary focus of work is to support the management of the Resident Leadership Training for CDCs.