East Providence, RI Ashley Almeida, a Realtor with The Mello Group was installed as the 118th president of the Greater Providence Board of Realtor (GPBOR) at the Squantum Association. She officially assumed the role of president on October 1, 2024, representing the Association’s more than 2,400 members. Almeida previously served as president-elect and treasurer and chaired its finance committee.
Almeida has been a licensed Realtor in Rhode Island and Mass. since 2016. She served as local president of the Women’s Council of Realtor and is a graduate of their Leadership Institute, holding the PMN (Performance Management Network) designation. Additionally, Almeida serves as a director on the Rhode Island Association of Realtor governing board and serves on their Global Business and Troop Support Committees.
The following officers and directors were also installed:
• President-Elect: Melissa Rose Benson of Re/Max River’s Edge
• Treasurer/Corporate Secretary: Ratha Kwiat of Century 21 Butterman & Kryston, Inc.
• John Dolan of Dolan O’Rourke
• Shamila Ahmed of Shamila Ahmed Real Estate
• Irene Mendez Pena of Empire Real Estate Group
• Victoria Pizzarelli of Engel & Völkers
• Fabiola Brunache of Fab Living Realty
• Brooke Depot of Better Living Real Estate, LLC
• Deborah Giannini of HomeSmart Professionals Real Estate
• Eric Soucy of eXp Realty
• Kevin Shepherd of Tidal Consultation, LLC
• Rita Steele of Steele Realty Consultants International
• Águêda Del Borgo of Places and Spaces Realty
• Salvatore Moio of Henry W. Cooke Company
In addition, the board presented the 2024 GPBOR Realtor of the Year Award to Águêda Del Borgo of Places and Spaces Realty. The Lear Award was bestowed to Mike Pereira of June Realty. Sandra Mazo, Economic Development Specialist with the City of Pawtucket, received the Affiliate of the Year Award, while John Moretti of Williams & Stuart Real Estate was honored with the board’s first-ever Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Award.
GPBOR C.A.R.E., a charitable foundation, also installed its Board of Directors for 2025. The officers and directors include:
• President: Paula Gallant of June Realty
• Vice-President: Yolanda Nazario of HomeSmart Professionals Real Estate
• Treasurer: Shamila Ahmed of Shamila Ahmed Real Estate
• Corporate Secretary: Susan Kostas of Mott & Chace Sotheby’s International Realty
• Directors: Freddie Almeida of Navigant Credit Union, Ratha Kwiat of Century 21 Butterman & Kryston, Inc., Ian Barnacle of Residential Properties, Ltd., and Dean deTonnancourt of HomeSmart Professionals Real Estate.
The Foundation awarded charitable grants of $3,000 each to Rhode Island non-profits Foster Forward and Higher Ground International and made a $2,500 donation to the NAR Realtor Relief Foundation.