Ronald Phipps is the 2011 President of the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
NAR is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Phipps, a Realtor for 31 years, is principal broker of Phipps Realty Inc. in Warwick, R.I., specializing in residential brokerage. He holds the professional designations of Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), GREEN and e-PRO certification. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Mass., in 1979.
At the national level, Phipps served as president-elect in 2010 and as first vice president in 2009. He has been a national director since 2000. He was a 2006 presidential liaison for Housing and Diversity. In 2004, Ron was the presidential liaison for Information, Education and Conventions. Phipps’ accomplishments include Operation Home Delivery, NAR’s and Habitat International’s joint venture to build 54 homes in the Gulf region for Katrina victims.
In 2003, Phipps was a NAR’s Region I vice president, which includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. At the state level, Phipps was president of the Rhode Island Association of Realtors in 2000. He was also president of State-Wide Multi-Listing Service (MLS), Inc. in 1993. Phipps was named the Rhode Island’s “Realtor of the Year” by his peers in 1995.
Active in his community, he was one of ten finalists in the NAR “Good Neighbor Awards” in 2001 for his volunteer work with the D.A.R.E. Bike Safety Program which, with corporate sponsors, distributed helmets to kids for free. He is an avid traveler, art buff and triathlete. He has completed the 2000 Florida Ironman, the 2000 Boston Marathon and fourteen Save the Bay swims.