PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Housing on Tuesday announced the hiring of Deborah Flannery as the agency's first deputy secretary of housing, to “assist and oversee programs and functions related to housing production, preservation, real estate finance and community development."
Flannery, who will serve under Housing Secretary of Housing Stefan Pryor, has three decades of experience working in various nonprofit housing finance organizations. She previously served as vice president of lending for the nonprofit Vermont-based Evernorth, which she joined in January 2021. Before that, she led the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, a housing-focused nonprofit community development finance institution fund.
According to the press release, Flannery also has extensive experience working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Treasury housing programs.
On Tuesday, Pryor called Flannery a “top-notch professional” that “will help us to finance new developments, collaborate with municipalities, and break down barriers to production.”
The department recently sent a $81.5 million fiscal 2025 budget request to Gov. Daniel J. McKee, its first “as a fully authorized standalone department,” according to the 42-page memo.
According to her online bio, Flannery is certified as a Housing Finance Professional by the National Development Council and holds a bachelor's in political science from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of New Orleans.
"I'm thrilled to join such a dynamic and dedicated team of professionals," she said. "By helping to implement the initiatives of the McKee administration and the Housing Department, I hope to contribute to the enhancement of housing affordability across Rhode Island."
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
Pryor building another unnecessary empire with taxpayer dollars. Wonder what we’re paying this carpetbagger.