Maicharia Z. Weir Lytle became President and CEO of United South End Settlements (USES) in February 2015. In her role, she drives the overall organizational, operational, and programmatic strategy for all USES activities with the goal of helping families stabilize through access to resources, become more resilient, and build a diverse and supportive network.
In 2017, USES celebrated its 125th anniversary and Maicharia outlined a new strategic path for the organization with a mission of harnessing the power of its diverse community to disrupt the cycle of poverty for children and their families. Vision125 includes a revitalized approach to programming that focuses on integrating programs to serve the whole family—from early childhood education and after school youth programs to coaching and workplace readiness programs for parents.
Community engagement has been an integral part of USES’s history and remains critical in the new vision as well. Maicharia is actively encouraging neighbors of the South End and surrounding areas, to bring their distinct skills, perspectives, and resources to USES, creating a diverse and inclusive community where all families can thrive. Additionally, she has outlined goals for financial stability and growth, including a fundraising initiative that would allow USES to engage at least 1,000 children and their families over the next five years.
Last year, Maicharia led the launch of USES’s Change Maker Dinners, which were recently recognized by Get Konnected as one of Boston’s top 10 game changing equity ideas. The new initiative engages community members in small, focused conversations about inequities that impact children and families in the South End and throughout the city and addresses what can be done individually and collectively to effect change.
Maicharia has spent her entire career serving individuals, families, and communities in and around Boston. With nearly two decades of leadership and management, fundraising, community development, and program innovation experience, she has routinely developed, grown, and elevated organizations. Prior to USES, Maicharia was the first Executive Director of LIFT-Boston, an organization helping community members achieve economic stability and well-being. She led the opening of LIFT-Boston’s Roxbury office, helping families of Boston Public Schools to address their critical needs through a partnership with the City of Boston.
Prior to LIFT-Boston, Maicharia worked as Vice President of Development at Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, was a fundraiser at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Bentley College, and served as Executive Director of the Organization for a New Equality, a civil rights organization that focuses on economic empowerment and wealth creation.
Maicharia’s service and leadership extend far beyond her career and include volunteer roles with Mothers for Justice and Equality (MJE), Big Sisters, and Simmons School of Management Alumni Association. She has served on numerous boards and presently serves on Frieda Garcia Park and SparkShare boards as well as the Community Center of Needham (CCN) board.
Maicharia received an MBA from Simmons School of Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Connecticut. She and her husband Cary, live in Needham with their three children.
