Bethesda, MD, February 26, 2012 – The Washington, DC chapter of the African American Real Estate Professionals (AAREP) has elected as its next president, Kwabena Osei-Sarpong. Mr. Osei-Sarpong will serve as the 15th president of the prestigious commercial real estate association. He will guide and position the 17 year old and 800 member association for future sustainable growth. Kwabena has been a part of the AAREPDC organization since 2005 and has served in various capacities including membership chair in 2010 and vice president in 2011.
“We want to get back to the basics by strengthening our foundation and further developing our value proposition for our membership, industry, and community. We want to build a growth platform that future generations of AAREP members will benefit from,” says, Kwabena Osei-Sarpong, AAREP President.
Kwabena Osei-Sarpong is the President & CEO of Rife International, LLC, a multifaceted commercial energy efficiency and sustainable development company headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Mr. Osei-Sarpong is an advocate of sustainability and is passionate about helping his clients save money and save the environment by providing energy efficiency and sustainable development solutions.
Kwabena was honored as one of Washington D.C.’s Power 30 Under 30 by the Apex Society, and also received the 2010 Member of the Year award for his service to the African American Real Estate Professionals. He is a frequent speaker and subject matter expert (SME) on energy efficiency and sustainable development for numerous government agencies including the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and the Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
Named a Charles McClellan scholar, he holds a Masters degree in Real Estate Development from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Radford University. He is a certified Construction Quality Manager through the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and a graduate of the Skinner Leadership Institute’s Masters Series for Distinguished Leaders.
About African American Real Estate Professionals (AAREP)
The African American Real Estate Professionals (AAREP) was founded in Washington, DC in May of 1995. AAREP began as a small, informal group of individuals who provided friendship, support and encouragement to one another. This small group has grown to become a full-fledged professional association with a network of over 800+ people, all involved in some aspect of commercial real estate. AAREP’s mission statement, “To lead in the intellectual, professional and economic development of African American commercial real estate professionals,” sets the tone for the organization’s programs and activities, and challenges each member to do their part to ensure the continued success of AAREP.
Tags: rife international, llc, kwabena osei-sarpong, aarep, african american real estate professionals, sustainability, energy efficiency, building efficiency, green building, sustainable design