Professional Profile: Ralph Pari - 1980

Name: Ralph Pari - 1980

Title: executive director and secretary

Company: Rhode Island Housing & Mortgage Finance Corp.

Location: Providence

Ralph Pari of Smithfield has been executive director and secretary of the R.I. Housing & Mortgage Finance Corp. since it was established in 1973. Formed with a staff of one, there are now 35 other personnel in the $1 billion corporation. Created by the legislature to benefit low and moderate income families by providing direct loans for construction or rehabilitation of multifamily rental housing and to provide mortgage money for homeownership, the RIHMFC has been able to place some 15,000 residential mortgages in its 6 ½ years. Last year, approximately two-thirds of all home mortgages were planned through the agency. Born in Providence in June 1926, Ralph received his BA degree from Providence College and completed a year at Boston College Law School. He has also attended the University of Rhode Island, R.I. College and the Univ. of Ct., where he studied accounting and appraising, the latter course conducted by the American Institute of R.E. Appraisers. Ralph has been actively engaged in real estate, development, appraisal and financing for the last 29 years. For five years, until 1964, he managed and supervised the R.E. division of Kagan & Shawcross in Providence, bringing its business volume to over $3 million per year. For the next nine years he was vice president of Kelly & Picerene in Cranston. He held complete responsibility for property management operations as well as s all multifamily and commercial development (stores, shopping centers, office and industrial buildings) and supervised a staff of 25 people. He also established and conducted R.E. training programs for manages and salespeople. Ralph guided the RIHMFC through the chaotic bond markets of 1975-76 when the first three Sec. 8 projects were started here. A creative financing method allowed 25 year mortgages instead of the traditional 40 year term. This was accomplished through cooperation between agency, local banks, and the Dept. of HUD. To date the corporation has under construction or occupied more than 9,000 such units. Ralph has served as an officer and member of the board of directors of the Council of State Housing Agencies, the Washington voice of the 41 SHAs across the country. The CSHA works with federal agencies in designing and implementing housing programs and in gaining funding from Congress. He is chairman of the Housing Policy Revenue Committee and negotiates the State position with HUD on reorganization and new programs. Ralph and his wife Violet operate Rolling Oaks Farm. While she ahs been a school teacher since 1948, he raises cattle as a hobby on their 40 acres, and since 1960. Each year he donates a steer to a charitable organization (Boys Clubs, churches) to use for its fundraising activities. He also takes part in boating, tennis and running. In Smithfield, he has been chairman of the zoning board and review and a member of the town zoning commission. He also has taught appraising at the Univ. of R.I. A public speaker, he has been involved with the R.I. Realtors Assn. and its local boards, the R.I. Bankers Assn., local banks and other groups. Ralph qualifies as an expert witness in condemnation matters for the state and many cities and towns, appearing nearly 300 times in courts from Massachusetts to Pennsylvania. Here are just a few of the organizations he holds membership in; state and national Realto Assns., IREM, RNMI, RIBA, NAHB, N. E. Appraisal Society (charter member), Assn. of Govt. Appraisers, ARWA, National Assn. of Certified Mortgage Bankers, National Assn. of Review Appraisers.