PRESIDENT | Gloria J. Besley

---

Gloria has been a member of The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) since 1977.  She's held organizational positions on Pittsburgh Local Board, Pennsylvania State President, National Secretary, and National Executive Committees.  It is through her efforts that the Pittsburgh Realtist Professionals has emerged. 

In 1972, Gloria began her journey in real estate and opened her first tax business in 1978.  She served the Hill District residents by offering notary services, photocopying, assisted legal services, housing, tax preparation, and real estate services. She regularly volunteered her time to help other local business owners complete forms, applications, and the like.  Gloria renovated the Lorraine Hotel formally in East Liberty (where Home Depot now resides) to create housing for the homeless and provide skills training through her B.A.T.H. program.  

With a relentless commitment and dedication to the community, Gloria has been a neighborhood servant for decades. She facilitated housing counseling and credit preparation workshops for the purchasers of phase one of Crawford Square. In Florida, Gloria originated mortgage loans for lenders and facilitated repair credit counseling for buyers in Sarasota and Bradenton. As a Community Investment Account Executive, she managed commercial loans for business development, expansion, and construction projects. 

Gloria started her career and various businesses in the urban core of Pittsburgh and has helped the communities through private investment, sweat equity, and philanthropic endeavors since 1972.  As a real estate business owner in the Hill District, Gloria faced surmountable hurdles, roadblocks, and challenges. Lenders would not lend, appraisals were deviously low, and the neighborhoods were deemed undesirable and inferior in value compared to Pittsburgh's suburban communities. Gloria's only option to survive in business and overcome the direct challenges was to use industry education and knowledge as her defense. 

Gloria increased her expertise and knowledge by becoming a real estate broker, tax accountant, HUD Certifed housing counselor, business consultant, mortgage broker, and, most recently, a general contractor.