Tim Foley Named CEO of the Building Realty Institute

Tim FoleyScarsdale’s Timothy Foley has been promoted to CEO of the Building Realty Institute (BRI) after a successful first year at the helm. Foley comes from an accomplished background, having graduated from Harvard University and then working on Former President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign as a Media Director in 2008.

This change comes as the BRI steps into a new era of leadership and continues to emerge as one of the thought leaders in the building and realty industries in the Westchester and Mid-Hudson region.

“BRI has grown as an organization while staying true to our mission to advocate for the best interests of the realty industry to government and the community, and to provide knowledge and resources to our members,” BRI President Lisa DeRosa said. “The Board of Trustees believes that having our executive officer be recognized as a CEO reflects the proactive, professional, and entrepreneurial organization and culture we’re trying to build. We also strongly believe that this title change will enhance the prestige of the organization and bring us into alignment with the titles given to executive officers in the Westchester-based organizations that we regard to be our peers.”

In his position as Executive Director, Foley was instrumental in leading the organization through a period of transformation, prompted by the long-term trends for affordable housing in the region, the dizzying changes enacted by the state legislature in the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, and the unprecedented changes from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The change reflects a renewed and refocused entrepreneurial spirit to the organization during these challenging times, including a renewed focus on building alliances with the community and taking full advantage of technological innovations. During 2020, the BRI was able to hold two successful fundraising campaigns, combining to raise over $40,000 for the charitable nonprofits Feeding Westchester and Lifting Up Westchester. BRI was forced to move the entirety of its robust education, training, and programmatic offerings to an all-virtual format, with every Membership Meeting being held via Zoom.

The BRI was also instrumental in launching the Building and Allied Construction Industries of Westchester (BACI), the local Westchester chapter of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the New York State Builders Association (NYSBA). Foley was recently appointed to a one-year term on the Land Development Committee for NAHB.

Foley led his team through a year of increased productivity as the BRI continued to conduct monthly meetings and engaged members in numerous advocacy efforts at the state and county level. Paired with the consistent ratings of the organization's two radio shows on WVOX and WOR 710 AM, and the doubling of its social media presence, the BRI continues to re-invent its image all while becoming one of the thought leaders in the building and realty sectors in Westchester County and the Mid-Hudson region.

“George Frank and Albert Annunziata, my predecessors at the BRI, worked tirelessly for years to make the BRI an organization resilient enough to withstand a once-in-a-century pandemic and a furious pace of change at the state and county level,” said Foley. “I’m grateful for the trust that President De Rosa, the Trustees, and the hardworking members of the BRI have put in me to continue our path of innovation and progress and look forward to continue to advocate for the best interests of our industry, for smart growth, affordable housing, and commonsense approaches to sustaining our communities, and to experiment with new opportunities for our members to build relationships and improve their businesses.”

The Building and Realty Institute of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region (BRI), based in Armonk, has more than 1,800 members in 14 counties of New York State, including home builders, commercial builders, renovators, property managing agents, co-op and condo boards, and owners of multifamily apartment buildings in many communities, as well as suppliers and service providers with a special focus on real estate. The BRI’s mission is to improve the relationships.