Joel Sklar

Joel Sklar is a civic-minded leader and seasoned real-estate developer whose career has shaped neighborhoods across Greater Boston. A proud honors graduate of the University of Florida, he earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989 and began his professional career in private practice, later moving into development and real-estate leadership. Joel joined Samuels & Associates as a principal in the late 1990s and today serves as President / Principal, where he oversees strategic planning, capital raising, acquisitions and transformational development projects — work that has included major Fenway-area redevelopments and urban mixed-use initiatives.

Beyond the boardroom, Joel has long combined civic stewardship with place-making. He has chaired the Boston Main Streets Foundation for nearly two decades, helping to channel grants, small-business support and creative neighborhood programming into Boston’s commercial districts. He also serves on the boards of Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation (supporting affordable housing and economic development in Roxbury) and Boston Medical Center’s philanthropic trust — roles that reflect his commitment to equitable neighborhood revitalization and community wellbeing.

Joel’s career path includes partnership at the law firm Goulston & Storrs and leadership roles in real-estate development (including Director of Latin American Development for New England Development) prior to his tenure at Samuels & Associates, where he has been a driving force in place-making, finance, leasing and adaptive re-use projects. Industry peers regularly recognize his influence: he has been profiled in Boston Magazine and other trade outlets as one of the Boston region’s most influential real-estate figures.