William Kargman, president of First Realty Management, has been named recipient of the Industry Statesman Award by the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA). The award was presented at the organization's biannual conference at the Hotel Madison in Washington, D.C.
Industry Statesman, NAHMA's highest award, is given "to an outstanding industry leader whose long term service to the affordable housing industry has been a constant source of inspiration." At the national forefront for over 30 years, Kargman played a key role in the merger between the National Advisory Council of HUD Management Agents and the Federation of HUD Management Agents, which joined forces as the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA). He was elected to serve as its first president 20 years ago, and was also first to propose the Community of Quality concept as a goal and benchmark of successful management of affordable housing. He has long been an advocate of mixed income housing, a vision he developed based on experience and the belief that affordable housing should not isolate the poorest and most disadvantaged families away from the rest of society.
He is president and CEO of First Realty Management Corp., one of a handful of Accredited Management Organizations (AMO) firms in New England. His company currently manages a portfolio of over 6,000 apartments and condominiums in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.
He earned his JD degree from Boston College Law School, his MBA degree from Columbia University, and his AB degree from Harvard College. He is a past president of the Rental Housing Association (RHA) of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, past president of the Board of Trustees for the Riverview Condominium in Cambridge, Mass., and also serves currently as a member of the Board of Directors off the Citizens Housing & Planning Association (CHAPA) and a member of the Board of Overseers of Mount Auburn Hospital and of the Boston College Law School. His current NAHMA role is as a board member for the NAHMA Educational Foundation.