The Coho/US Board is pleased to endorse Laura Fitch and Doug Henderson-James as Co-Chairs of the National Cohousing Conference (May 2015 in Durham NC). www.www.cohousing.org/2015conference

Laura Fitch was the creative crafter of our “Next Generation” theme for the National Conference, so it is fitting she step up to co-chair. Laura’s own community – Pioneer Valley Cohousing in Amherst – has nurtured a generation of children, including more than a dozen foster children. It is a community she helped develop, as the first cohousing on the east coast, and she has been at the forefront of the movement since.

Her firm, Kraus Fitch Architects, http://www.krausfitch.com/ has worked with over two dozen cohousing communities. Laura currently serves on the Coho/US Board, and has been instrumental in efforts to raise visibility and educate the public about the benefits of cohousing.

Doug Henderson-James was a founder and project manager for the recently completed Durham Central Park Cohousing Community www.durhamcoho.com. Doug brings local leadership, and urban self-development experience – a feature of our next generation theme – to the table. Doug is passionate about the community creation potential with cohousing. As difficult as it was managing the building construction, Doug shares that the “making of our community” has been the toughest yet most rewarding aspect. As a retired health administration analyst and consultant, Doug is a firm believer in the health benefits cohousing provides. Listen here for Doug’s interview with StoryCorps last spring. http://www.durhamcoho.com/community/photos/photos.html