Live, Work, Thrive

A Note from Jay Coburn, President & CEO

Happy New Year! For the CDP’s staff, the beginning of 2025 marks the completion of our new office space in Orleans and a return to working together in person!

In July 2024, a broken pipe flooded our Orleans space, which we had moved to in November 2022. While the damage from the water was challenging, it was not catastrophic, and we were adequately insured. However, the move caused significant disruption to our work. Thanks to the help of our Board and community members, we were able to quickly pack up and store our files, furnishings, and equipment, while securing temporary workspace for staff who could not work remotely. Special thanks to Darin Krum of ACE Eastham, Scott Kerry of Kerry Insurance, Ross Crosby, Eldredge & Bourne, and Secure Networks who were instrumental in helping us to keep operating.

We found a new space in Hilltop Plaza at 180 Cranberry Highway, just down the road from our previous location, and moved in two weeks ago. Thanks to CDP board member Aaron Polhemus and our friends at A&A Building and Remodeling, Bayside Electric, W. Vernon Whiteley Plumbing & Heating, MT Drywall, and Mary-Ann Agresti of the Design Initiative, we were able to transform the former home of New Farm into modern offices. We now have a much larger conference room and can accommodate in-person and hybrid meetings using our state-of-the-art video conferencing system.

We are excited about our new visible space in a great location in Orleans and look forward to welcoming you to an “office warming” later this winter!

Fred Bell Way in Wellfleet Receives Rooftop Solar Energy System



"A significant amount of collaboration, effort, and expertise contributed to the success of this project."

– Joe Russe, CDP Maintenance Technician

A collaborative effort that lasted several months has successfully installed energy-efficient solar panels and electric heat pumps at Fred Bell Way, a townhouse-style rental property in Wellfleet managed by the CDP. The 12-unit affordable housing community received significant upgrades during the installation of the rooftop solar energy system. As a result, the residents of Fred Bell Way will enjoy the benefits of clean energy and energy savings

Joe Russe (left) and Andrew Earl (right), a Fred Bell Way resident, point to new rooftop solar system at the CDP-managed property.

CDP worked with Cape Light Compact and RISE Engineering on the project that included insulation and air sealing, the installation of heat pumps and heat pump water heaters, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, and roof replacements. The project was initiated through Cape Light Compact’s Cape and Vineyard Electrification Offering (CVEO), a pilot program designed to provide incentives for home decarbonization measures. These measures included heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, electric stoves, solar PV systems, and battery storage when feasible. The CVEO program aimed to expand access to home electrification measures and clean energy for low- to moderate-income households on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.

Read more about improvements at Fred Bell Way.

Chatham Fisherman Benefits from CDP Assistance to Launch His Business

"The early days of business acquisition meant rough waters, with the intimidating prospect of starting a business and concerns of getting money together looming overhead."

– Sean Connors, Owner of F/V Dawn Treader, Chatham

Photo courtesy of Sean Connors

Local fisherman Sean Connors has embraced diverse and fruitful opportunities from generations of Cape Codders, including his Chatham lineage. Now a boat owner and captain, his Cape roots continue to grow and thrive.

After graduating from Chatham High School in 2011 (before the school regionalized), he earned a degree in business and hospitality from the University of New Hampshire. Sean’s return after college and off-Cape ventures finds him following in his parents’ and grandparents’ footsteps. His interest in diverse food-service industries was satisfied by working at restaurants including The Pearl (Wellfleet), La Bella Vita (Orleans), and Laurino’s (Brewster) – perhaps a nod to his mother’s family who owned the Northport Seafood House years ago in North Chatham (now the home of Chatham Works). Sean also provided freelance raw bar services at special events for several years.

Read more about Sean Connors.

At their December 2024 meeting, the CDP’s Board appointed Maxine Minkoff to serve on the CDP’s Board.

Maxine spent most of her career in education. She worked at school, district, and state levels in urban and rural areas, including as the Principal of Nauset Regional Middle School from 2010 to 2019. A constant in her experience has been seeing children and their families need affordable and attainable housing, greater access to healthcare and social services, and more employment opportunities. Since retiring, she has devoted increased attention to these issues as president of the Orleans Citizens Forum and through serving on various town committees, including the Charter Review Committee and the Planning Board, as well as a liaison to the Community Preservation Committee. You can learn more about Maxine here.

"As a longtime CDP supporter and program participant, I am excited to join the Board. I am deeply motivated to contribute to the organization's mission of uplifting community members in need, empowering them to make their voices heard and become agents of positive change. I look forward to helping advance the CDP’s goals and create lasting positive change.”

In November 2024, longtime CDP supporters Gail and David Oppenheim of Chatham, MA, received the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from Philanthropy Partners of Cape Cod in recognition of their exceptional generosity and civic engagement.

For more than 40 years, David and Gail have contributed to nonprofit organizations on Cape Cod, supporting initiatives focused on housing, food security, healthcare, scholarships, economic development, and programs for women and children.

Beyond their financial contributions, the Oppenheims have generously donated time, property, and resources, which have enhanced the operations of local nonprofits and improved their ability to serve the community. Both Gail and David are active volunteers. David serves on the boards of organizations such as WE CAN and the Chatham Affordable Housing Trust, while Gail volunteers for food security initiatives.

We are delighted that they have been recognized as outstanding philanthropists for their dedication to improving lives and supporting organizations that promote health and well-being in our community.

Photo of David and Gail Oppenheim courtesy of Philanthropic Partners of Cape Cod & the Islands.

Your support and involvement are invaluable. Thank you for making our work possible and for positively impacting our community.

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