PBN Leaders & Achievers Awards 2025
CAROL VENTURA
R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. CEO and executive director
HELPING IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY, and overseeing projects to make that happen, is what Carol Ventura, CEO and executive director of the R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp., finds most rewarding.
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R.I. Housing is a $2.6 billion quasi-state housing finance agency that manages affordable-housing development and programs. Ventura advocates for federal and state programs and develops policies to help households that need it.
“I worked in some rural communities in Rhode Island, designing a home repair program for elderly folks that needed to be stabilized in their homes, working on a senior community center and doing other things, and that really spurred my love of the field,” she said.
Ventura has enjoyed working on programs that were available for the rural communities she represented. Ventura, who has been with R.I. Housing since 2005 and led the agency since 2019, “jumped on it” when the top-level position became available. Other roles she held at R.I. Housing include director of its real estate development division, and then deputy executive director. Ventura knew she had to work at R.I. Housing to be satisfied professionally.
“I drive around the state of Rhode Island and what I find most rewarding is I can point to projects that I’ve been involved in,” she said.
When Ventura started at R.I. Housing, the South Side of Providence was a very distressed neighborhood, she recalls, and much of the agency’s focus was on revitalizing the area, partnering with developers to achieve that goal.
“When I drive through South Providence now, I can point to success stories and people who now have places to live, affordable, decent safe places to live,” Ventura said, “because of the work of my team and the agency.”
Ventura also enjoys talking to community members to design something that is exactly what they envision for their neighborhood. She says it’s extremely rewarding because it’s tangible. She believes that’s true for her employees as well.
Ventura advised people who want to get into careers in housing and community development be to passionate about people and change.
“There is not a single person who works at the agency who isn’t passionate about what I’m passionate about,” she said. “I’m only successful because of the people that work alongside me.”
