Cumberland, RI The Northern Rhode Island Board of Realtor (NRIBR) celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021 with a renewed commitment to community involvement and plans to continue to build upon its history of giving back with expanded charitable and scholarship programs in 2022 as well as growing its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
In 2021, NRIBR gave more than $10,000 back to northern Rhode Island communities in the form of charitable giving and scholarships to area high school students, including granting $3,500 each to the Blackstone Valley Emergency Food Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Rhode Island. The association gave $2,000 in scholarships to deserving high school students for the 41st year in a row, and donated $1,500 to the Realtors Relief Foundation, which helps homeowners in areas impacted by natural disasters or other crises. As part of the association’s 100th anniversary celebrations, NRIBR launched their Good Neighbor Award and granted the inaugural award to Judy Mastalerz for her work with We Heart Lives in Smithfield, and donated $1,000 to the charity in Judy’s name.
2021 also saw the association deepen its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by installing its first ever Hispanic president (who took office in November 2021), Alexander Parmenidez, as well as by launching its Diversity Task Force, which will work to increase diversity in the real estate field for consumers and professionals. With Northern Rhode Island being named the area of the state with the biggest gains in population diversity, the Diversity Task Force will focus on ensuring that the association’s membership and leadership reflect the increasing diversity in the communities that the association’s members serve. The association moved to a new office space in Lincoln, after 15 years in Cumberland, in part to better serve its membership as the association continues to grow and evolve along with the real estate market that its members serve.
“As our communities grow more diverse – and as our association continues to grow – it is imperative that Realtors serving Northern Rhode Island reflect the region’s increasing diversity” said 2022 NRIBR president Alexander Parmenidez, reflecting on the association’s 12% growth in 2021. “I look forward to working with our Diversity Task Force to ensure that community members can see themselves in the Realtors that live and work in our communities, and that they can find someone to work with that understands their unique background and needs.”
Looking forward to 2022, NRIBR plans to offer its second annual Good Neighbor Award, with its recipient announced on April 14th at the Kirkbrae Country Club and will raise funds for the association’s 2022 adopted charity, Rhode Island Meals on Wheels. Additionally, the association will continue to offer scholarships to local high school students and will continue to expand the Diversity Task Force to recruit diverse new members and volunteer leaders for the association.
The association anticipates that it will continue to offer a mix of in-person, virtual and hybrid meetings to keep its members and the general public safe as it continues to meet the evolving challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, visit the association’s new website at https://www.nribr.realtor.