BRI Names First Female President in 75-Year History

ARMONK—The Building & Realty Institute announced recently it has named the first female President in the institute’s 75-year history—Lisa DeRosa, president of DeRosa Builders, Inc. of White Plains.

DeRosa has been active in the BRI for years. DeRosa served as a vice chair of the BRI’s Apartment Owners Advisory Council from 2016 to 2020 and as a member of that association’s Board of Directors from 2006 to 2020. She has also been a member of the BRI’s Negotiating Committee during its laabor contract negotiations with Local 32-BJ Service Employees International Union.

She was first elected to the BRI’s Board of Trustees in 2016, and has served as secretary since 2018. The BRI made the announcement at its annual Holiday Networking reception held on Dec. 9.

“My goal is to bring the BRI to the forefront on all real estate matters and give the organization a greater voice,” DeRosa said. “Whenever an issue occurs in the building and realty industries, I want the BRI to be the ultimate source in the Hudson Valley. We have so many useful resources and an abundance of knowledge. Many of our members have issues that need and deserve to be highlighted and addressed by the media and legislators. I want to amplify our members’ voices and give the BRI a larger spotlight.”

“We are thrilled to have such a strong leader with such deep ties to the BRI family at the helm as our organization gets ready for what Westchester will look like post-COVID,” said Tim Foley, executive director and executive vice president of the BRI. “Lisa’s story is the story of the BRI. She knows firsthand what it really looks like for a small business and family-run businesses to build and operate multifamily apartment buildings in Westchester. She knows exactly what it means to keep them afloat in good times and bad, and how to maintain safe, secure, and affordable homes that working families in White Plains depend on. We can’t wait to share her vision and her story with decision makers in White Plains, Westchester, Albany and beyond.”

The election of DeRosa continues a longtime link between her family and the BRI. Her late father, John DeRosa, served as president of the BRI in the 1960s and was a longtime member of the organization’s Board of Trustees. Her late mother, Margit DeRosa, was a president and longtime member of the BRI’s Women’s Council.

DeRosa officially began her term on Dec. 9, 2020, when she took over the position of BRI President from Vincent Mutarelli, who as Immediate Past President will be Chair of the Board of Trustees for the next year.

The Building & Realty Institute of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region is a building, realty and construction industry membership organization. The association, based in Armonk, has more than 1,800 members in 14 counties of New York State. Those members are involved in virtually every area of the building, realty and construction industry. The BRI will mark the 75th anniversary of its formation in 2021. The association was formed on Feb. 11, 1946.

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