Noel J. Heeran, Vice President of Real Estate Operations, has been named the recipient of the 2017 Jim O’Brien Leadership Award. Since 2015, this award has recognized an employee who willingly shares with his or her colleagues to help them grow and develop, and challenges team members to take one more step than they thought they could. The recipient exemplifies leadership and teamwork, and shows keen judgment in making hard decisions.
Born in County Leitrim, Ireland, Noel immigrated to Boston in 1985. He worked with McDevitt Realty in Brighton, MA, for 10 years, renovating and maintaining multi-family units and residential additions. After attending Wentworth Institute of Technology and acquiring the Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License while working with Shuman Building Corp, he joined Kensington in 1997. Heeran, now celebrating 20 years with us, oversees the day-to-day operations of the company’s active real estate portfolio in Boston, manages Capex projects, and oversees service excellence.
Kurt Therrien, Executive Vice President for Real Estate, says that when he met Heeran in 1997, he saw “a person with grit.” Over the years, Heeran “designed a program of capital improvements and preventive maintenance that we still use to this very day,” notes Therrien. “But the real value Noel constantly brings to the Kensington Team is his understanding of people – what motivates them, when they are having difficulty, all those things that are very human.”
Heeran was a natural fit for an award created to honor Jim O’Brien, KIC Vice Chairman, a lifelong leader who tackles tough issues with moral courage, integrity, compassion, grace, and humility. In Heeran’s 20 years with KIC, he has lived by the Gandhi quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” We are happy to honor his continued contributions.
