The Charles River Regional Chamber has selected Amy Schectman, a leader in innovative efforts to provide affordable housing options for seniors, to receive the R.L. Tennant Award, the chamber’s highest honor.

The award will be presented to Schectman at the chamber’s 110th annual Fall Business Breakfast, Nov. 7, 2025, at 8 a.m. at the Newton Marriott Hotel.  Also speaking at the event will be Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.

Schectman’s 40-year career has included time as an affordable housing advocate, policymaker, developer and organizational leader, with community service and social justice always at the heart of her work. 

She has been CEO of the nonprofit 2Life Communities for over a decade where she successfully launched an aggressive expansion campaign to fill gaps in the senior housing affordability marketplace, managed the creation of a quasi-endowment to support agency innovation, and has more than doubled the number of communities built and supported by 2Life. 

Just this month, the 174-unit Opus Newton, the first 2Life property specifically focused on middle-income seniors, opened its doors adjacent to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston. 

Schectman has served as a board or committee member for the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, the Governor’s Council on Aging, The Community Builders, Association of Jewish Aging Services, Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, Citizens Housing and Planning Association, Jewish Funders Network, GBH Boston Public Radio, the Governor’s Housing Advisory Council, and Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

The chamber’s R.L. Tennant Award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond for our communities.  Last year’s honoree was civic activist Darryl Settles, founder of Catalyst Ventures Development.  In 2023, the award was bestowed upon former CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, a resident of Newton.