For over 70 years, the Puerto Rico Builders Association (PRBA), a non-profit organization, has strived to serve developers, investors, and builders in the changing social, economic, and environmental ecosystem of our Puerto Rico. Established in 1951, we have been recognized as a relevant force in the construction and real estate sectors of our economy, by government and private sector decision-making leaders, providing the platform for connecting with all players of the real estate industry.

mission commitment

THE PRBA’s mission is to promote and lead planned development that is safe, sustainable, and serve as an economic driver for our island, working hand in hand with the private and public sectors in Puerto Rico.

our goals

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meet our
leadership directors

Arch. Vanessa de Mari Monserrate
Chairwoman
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Armando Vilas, Esq.
Vice Chairman
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Arch. George Pavarini
Board Secretary
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Waleska Rivera
Board Treasurer
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Alfredo Martínez-Álvarez, Jr.
Immediate Past Chairman
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Nory Rivera, Esq.
Executive Director
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board of directors

First row (left to right): Nory Rivera, Esq., Patricio Martínez-Lorenzo, Esq., Federico Sánchez-Ortiz, Eng. Orlando Méndez, María de Los Ángeles Rivera, CPA, Nydin Watlington, Esq., Arch. George Pavarini, Waleska Rivera, Arch. Vanessa de Mari, Alfredo Martínez-Álvarez, Jr., Wilma Alejandro, Victoria Colón, Larry Padilla, Agustín Rojo. Second row (left to right): Christian Bernaschina, Esq., Alejandro Longo, Rafael Rojo, Alejandro Brito, Eng. Fernando Sumaza, Pablo Dardet, Esq., Ricardo Agudo, Jorge Guerrero, Emilio Colón-Zavala, PE, Eng. Adolfo "Tito" González, Arch. Antonio Garate, Roberto J. Trápaga Fonalledas, Eng. Ramón de León. Absent in the image: Daniel Acosta, Arch. Ricardo Álvarez-Diaz, and Eng. Francisco Arteaga.

Four pillars

The PRBA and our members have delivered world-class products in different real estate segments such as Residential, Tourism, Commercial and Industrial. Our members have been able to increase their services and production of goods, with a strong export activity to the United States, Latin America and other countries, many benefitting from Act 20 and smart business planning.

vanessa de mari

Arch. Vanessa de Mari Monserrate, AIA, MCM
Chairwoman

Licensed Architect and Real Estate Broker in Puerto Rico. Vanessa de Mari got her dual master’s degree in Architecture and Construction Management from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. She started working in F&R Construction back in 1996 as the assistant to the Project Superintendent in the construction site, and after a few years in the field, she was promoted to Assistant Procurement Manager. De Mari is now F&R Construction’s Development Manager, and President of F&R Management Services, LLC, a company dedicated to managing projects from its initial planning and developing phase of, construction and final delivery of the project. She also serves as Vice-President of Urban us Development, Inc., a company dedicated to the development of residential projects of the Fullana Group.

Mrs. de Mari has been part of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Builders Association for the past 10 years and is currently the Chairwoman of the Board.

Armando Vilas, Esq.
Vice Chairman

Armando Vilas, Esq., is Executive Vice President and Partner at Interlink, an integrated real estate company with over 44 years of experience in development, construction, and asset & property management in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

Vilas has a bachelor’s degree in Economics, with a concentration in Finance and Real Estate, from The Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico’s School of Law in San Juan. He was admitted to the Bar of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 2012 and the Bar of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in 2013.

Vilas is an active member of the Puerto Rico Builder’s Association since 2015, where is has held the role as Secretary of the Board of Directors (2019-2021) and is currently the Vice President of the Board.

Arch. George Pavarini
Board Secretary

President of Pavarini Construction and Development LLC, George Pavarini Taibi is a graduate architect from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He apprenticed at the world-renowned architect I.M. Pei in New York City prior to obtaining his architect’s license in New York. He subsequently acquired licenses to practice architecture in Florida, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Colorado. Between 1984 and 1998, Mr. Pavarini frequently relocated between Florida, New York and Connecticut to serve as construction manager on numerous commercial building projects that ranged in size to over $100 million.

George spent much of his childhood travelling between New York and Puerto Rico as his father began building on the island in 1962. Over 21 years ago George permanently moved to Puerto Rico. He is president of Pavarini Construction & Development, LLC which offers design and construction services in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. He is also president of Pavarini Land Development, Inc., a real estate development company which is currently developing projects of assisted living and single-family housing for low-income families and victims of hurricane Maria.Mr. Pavarini is a member of the Puerto Rico Colegio de Arquitectos y Arquitectos Paisajistas, the Puerto Rico Chapter ofthe AGC, and is an active board member of the Asociación de Constructores de Puerto Rico.

Waleska Rivera
Board Treasurer

President of Danosa Caribbean, Inc., Waleska Rivera is aninfluential Puerto Rican entrepreneur known for her leadership and activemission of initiatives that strengthen economic and social development of theisland. Ms. Rivera is President of Danosa Caribbean, Inc., roofing membranesmanufacturer, and market leader that has begun to emerge as an exporter toLatin America, the Caribbean and United States.

Rivera has held multiple business leadership positions suchas: former President of the Puerto Rico Manufacturer Association and currentlyis the Puerto Rico Builder’s Association’s Treasurer, among others, fosteringcollaboration and partnerships with other sectors, to create initiatives toimprove economic development.

Her commitment to business development in the region has ledher to lead various diplomatic missions, including delegations to Cuba.

Ms. Rivera holds a BA with honors in Accountingfrom the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez and an MBA in Industrial Managementfrom Inter American University. Ms. Rivera has received countless awards andrecognitions including Top 10 Business Leaders of Puerto Rico and theprestigious construction award Alejandro Herrero.

Alfredo Martínez-Álvarez, Jr.
Immediate Past Chairman

Alfredo Martínez-Álvarez, Jr., is the President of Martinal Group, a local family owned, Asset and Property Management Company. He has over 23 years of experience in the property management industry. He began providing management agent services to affordable housing, condominiums, rental properties, as well as industrial and commercial real estate properties in Puerto Rico. As a result of the growth and expansion of the company, in 1993, the Company acquired 10 multifamily subsidized affordable housing projects, which increased the Company’s portfolio.

Under Martínez-Álvarez Jr. leadership, the company accomplished to manage 4,650 units of affordable housing for the Puerto Rico Public Housing Authority and 23 residential and commercial Real Estate properties, totaling over a million square feet of Real Estate in the Island.

Martínez-Álvarez, Jr., is currently the Immediate Past Chairman of the Puerto Rico Builders Association, Member of the Board of Directors of the Southeastern Affordable Housing Management Association, and Member of the Board of nonprofit organizations such as HBA of Puerto Rico Community Development.

Martínez-Álvarez Jr. has a Puerto Rico Real Estate Broker License and National Center for Housing Management RHM Certification.

Nory Rivera, Esq.
Executive Director

Nory W. Rivera, Esq., is the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Builders Association since September 2017. She arrived at the position one day before the passage of Hurricane Irma through Puerto Rico and two weeks before Hurricane María passed through the island.

Prior to her appointment at the Puerto Rico Builders Association, Nory worked for 22 years at El Nuevo Día, the leading newspaper in the Island, where she served as editor of Supplements, editor of the health magazine Salud al Día and for the last 16 years as editor of the Construction magazine, where she covered and analyzed issues related to the construction industry, mortgage banking and real estate. She has also worked as a professor in the Communication Program of the American University of Puerto Rico.

Rivera studied at the   University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Public Communication, a Master's degree in Journalism and a Juris Doctor from the School of Law.

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