St. Mary Development co-founders receive lifetime service awards

The co-founders of Dayton nonprofit organization St. Mary Development Corp. were recently given lifetime of service awards.

The Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing honored May 23 at its annual partner luncheon in Columbus local leaders Richard McBride, president, chief executive officer and founder of St. Mary Development; and Sister Rose Wildenhaus, senior vice president and co-founder of St. Mary.

McBride and Wildenhaus retire in October this year after 30 years each with the Dayton organization, which develops affordable housing.

Upon their retirement Tim Bete, currently executive vice president, will take over as president of St. Mary Development. This leadership transition was previously announced.

St. Mary Development conducts real estate development, real estate management and home health care services. Also its program HomeOwnership Center of Greater Dayton provides foreclosure prevention and first-time home buyer counseling.

Since its founding, St. Mary Development has created more than 3,100 units of affordable housing under the tenure of McBride and Wildenhaus. The HomeOwnership Center has prevented more than 2,000 foreclosures and helped hundreds of first-time homebuyers, according to the organization.

Ohio Capital Corp. for Housing is a nonprofit that helps provide financing to developers of affordable housing.