Travis Watson

Travis Watson joined MHIC in May 2016 and was promoted in 2020 to the newly created position of Director of Racial Equity & Community Engagement. Travis works to create a more racially equitable construction industry. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that MHIC-financed projects maximize the participation of both businesses owned by people of color and workers of color. To help support this work, he created the Access and Opportunity Network, which serves as a repository of news, strategies, resources, and best practices to help construction projects maximize racial equity. Additionally, Travis serves as Chairman of the Boston Employment Commission and is a member of the Mayor of Boston's Supplier Diversity Council. Before MHIC, he worked for nine years as a senior organizer at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI). At DSNI, he led efforts that secured high employment levels for residents, people of color, and businesses owned by people of color on two major construction projects. Travis graduated with high honors from Brandeis University with a B.A. in African and African-American studies.