Title
To recognize and congratulate Rita Parise on her retirement and distinguished service to the City of Columbus
Body
WHEREAS, Rita Parise has served with exceptional distinction as Housing Administrator for the City of Columbus for 18 years, beginning her tenure in 2007, and through her leadership assisting thousands of residents in central Ohio with programs helping them to remain in their homes, supporting the construction of hundreds of homes with nonprofit partners and working with developers to build thousands of low-income housing units; and
WHEREAS, Rita, both an accomplished attorney and a certified public accountant, has combined her legal and financial expertise to become a trusted leader in creating thoughtful, efficient and impactful housing finance strategies that maximize the value of public investment; and
WHEREAS, Rita’s deep commitment to the individuals and families who rely on affordable and permanent supportive housing was matched only by her work ethic - as evidenced by her extraordinary dedication to the complex Nelson Park project, which she shepherded forward while on a beach vacation, ensuring its success without hesitation; and
WHEREAS, she played a pivotal role in securing critical federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) funds in 2009 and 2010. While the 2009 funding was allocated based on HUD foreclosure projections, the NSP2 grant - won through a highly competitive national application process - was secured under Rita’s expert leadership, resulting in the largest award the city received across all three NSP rounds; and
WHEREAS, Rita led the Housing Division with passion and purpose, championing housing access for Columbus’ most vulnerable residents while fostering a workplace culture that valued professional development, culminating in her staff earning four bachelor’s degrees and four master’s degrees over the past decade; and
WHEREAS, Whereas Rita now concludes a distinguished 30-year career in public servic...
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