Puerto Rico Builders Assoc. swears in 1st woman president
Architect Vanessa de Mari-Monserrate was sworn in as the new president of the Puerto Rico Builders Association at an event held at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino.
Puerto Rico Supreme Court Chief Justice Maite Oronoz-Rodríguez swore in the first woman to preside the association as well as the Board of Directors.
During her presidency, de Mari said she will focus on the opportunities and challenges that the construction industry faces today, such as: the rise of construction costs, the lack of materials and labor, the responsible development of the coasts, the facilitation of obtaining permits to improve the way of doing business, and the transparent reconstruction of Puerto Rico as federal funding continues to arrive.
“As we begin a new cycle in the direction of the Association, we strengthen our commitment to the recovery of Puerto Rico, focused on promoting the development of infrastructure and housing projects,” said de Mari during her inaugural address.
“To achieve this, it is imperative to continue monitoring government management to ensure the proper use of federal funds available for reconstruction. This implies ensuring agility in its disbursement; overcoming bureaucratic obstacles; connecting effective communication networks between the executive, the municipalities and the representatives of our industry; and making adequate planning to guarantee the goal of investing the almost $4 billion that have been announced for 2,000 projects during 2022,” she said.
The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors is composed of: Armando Vilas Pica, vice-president, Waleska Rivera, treasurer, and George Pavarini, secretary.
de Mari Monserrate is development manager at F&R Construction Group Inc, which specializes in the construction, development and management of properties, and consulting in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. De Mari is also president of F&R Management Services and vice-president of Urbañus Development.