Bob Rapoza

About Bob Rapoza

As the President and Principal of Rapoza Associates, Bob brings more than three decades of experience as a professional lobbyist on the federal budget and appropriations process, with special expertise in federal housing and community development policy. His work spans Congressional Committees on Agriculture, Appropriations, Banking, Finance,Labor, and Ways and Means and federal agencies including the US Department of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Treasury. He has worked closely with clients to save federal rural housing and community development programs from budget cuts; establish important programs like the Intermediary Re-lending Program at the Agriculture Department; sustain and increase funding for community development programs at the Department of Health and Human Services; promote the creation of a YouthBuild program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and successfully steer the New Markets Tax Credit program to enactment. In addition to these efforts, Bob also serves as executive secretary and legislative director of the National Rural Housing Coalition.A graduate of Boston College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he has served on the boards of several housing and community development organizations and has been profiled in the Washington Post and in the authoritative Beacham’s Guide to Key Lobbyists.

Experience

1. President

   Rapoza Associates

   Jan 1986 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Rapoza Associates is a lobbying and government relations firm specializing in federal community development policy. Our clients work to build stronger communities across the nation – and we support their work by providing them a range of key services, including representation before Congress and federal agencies and consultation on federal policy and programs. We have more than 30 years of experience in legislative strategy, public policy analysis and action-oriented research.In addition to providing legislative and policy guidance, we assist our clients in preparing proposals and writing applications for federal tax credit and grant programs. We also assist them by closely monitoring key agencies and legislative initiatives and alerting clients when opportunities arise to better serve their communities. We see ourselves as partners in community development, fully committed to our clients’ goals – including job creation, transportation, youth services, provision of social services, development of clean energy and environmental enhancement strategies, community economic development, construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing, rural development, support for community entrepreneurs and small businesses, and initiatives to strengthen and sustain community infrastructure.

Education

• University of Massachusetts Amherst

  Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)

  1972 — 1975

• Boston College

  Bachelor's degree

  1968 — 1972

Skills

• Tax Policy
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Public Speaking
• Policy
• Federal Budget
• Strategic Planning
• Workforce Development
• Policy Analysis
• Proposal Writing
• Legislation
• Fundraising
• Congressional Appropriations
• Housing Development
• Government
• Nonprofits
• Grants
• Economic Development
• Public Policy
• Community Outreach
• Community Development
• Legislative Relations
• Federal Government
• Affordable Housing
• Lobbying