Home Real Estate Housing Godfrey appointed Sojourner House’s new board chair

Godfrey appointed Sojourner House’s new board chair

Updated at 6 p.m. on June 20.

By

James Bessette

-

06/20/2025

Godfrey Rupert — RICHARD GODFREY, Richard Godfrey, executive director of Roger Williams University’s real estate program, has been named Sojourner House's new board of directors chairperson. / PBN FILE PHOTO / RUPERT WHITELEY

PROVIDENCE – The former longtime R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. executive director was recently appointed Sojourner House’s new board chairperson. The domestic violence survivors advocacy organization announced June 17 that Richard Godfrey will become the new head of its board of directors. Godfrey succeeds Kersti Yllo, who served on Sojourner House’s board since 2017.

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PROVIDENCE – The former longtime R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. executive director was recently appointed Sojourner House’s new board chairperson. The domestic violence survivors advocacy organization announced June 17 that Richard Godfrey will become the new head of its board of directors. Godfrey succeeds Kersti Yllo, who served on Sojourner House’s board since 2017. Sojourner House says Godfrey, who led R.I. Housing from 1993 through 2015, brings significant knowledge on housing assistance programs and affordable housing development to the board, which he has served on since 2021. Godfrey is also a former executive director of Roger Williams University’s interdisciplinary Real Estate Program. “His guidance and willingness to share his expertise has been instrumental in the success of that work,” Sojourner House Executive Director Vanessa Volz said in a statement. “That’s why the board was so excited to ask him to take on this new leadership role. They knew his passion for creating safer, healthier communities would continue to add value to our organization.” Godfrey said in a statement that urban renewal and public housing were the “established but failing” programs in the 1960s, but he saw the need for custom designed strategies to address the broad range of complex human needs. Sojourner House does that work, he says, and wants to further be a part of that. “Their services are tailored to meet the specific needs of victims of violence, and that allows them to serve their clients as holistically as possible,” Godfrey said. (Correction: An earlier version of this story mischaracterized Richard Godfrey's position at Roger Williams University. He is a former executive director of RWU's interdisciplinary real estate program.) James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.