In Memoriam

With great sadness, we share the news that our founding Executive Director and long-term Board Member, Charles E. McLean, Jr. passed away on July 15th. New Destiny exists thanks to Charles’ vision for a future beyond shelter for domestic violence survivors, knowing that there was a need to create permanent, affordable housing for them and their families.

Charles became New Destiny’s Executive Director when the organization Victim Services, now known as Safe Horizon, created a distinct entity dedicated solely to low-income housing development, and sought someone with the experience and leadership ability to realize this goal. Having already worked and been a leader in all aspects of housing, from housing finance to mutual housing to property management, across multiple cities and states and in both the government and nonprofit sectors, Charles was the perfect person for the job.

Within two short years New Destiny was thriving and quickly became its own nonprofit entity with several projects successfully completed. Charles was plucked soon thereafter by the Clinton Administration to bring his talent and drive for community development national, but his time with New Destiny was far from over. Charles remained a supporter of New Destiny throughout his years in Washington. After nearly twenty years with the feds, Charles retired and, upon his return to New York, joined New Destiny’s Board of Directors. For the last nine years, Charles was indispensable to his fellow board members and both the former and current executive directors, not just for his four decades of experience in affordable housing but also for his endless generosity of both time and spirit.

And when he returned, he returned as a package deal.

Charles’ wife Susan was indispensable to him and in turn became indispensable to us, the New Destiny staff and Board. He also rarely showed up to a New Destiny event without one or more members of his family, endlessly proud of them and of the organization he had helped seed and grow over the years. We extend our deepest condolences to Charles’ family and to all his friends and colleagues who had the privilege to know him.

He will be sorely missed by the New Destiny family that had the good fortune to learn from him and get to know the wonderfully kind, committed and generous man who became so interwoven to the fabric of our organization.

Services for Charles will be held this fall at a date and time to be announced by his family. Please continue to check this link for more information or email Maria Franco at mfranco@newdestinyhousing.org if you would like to receive this information when it becomes available.