Richard Rodriguez serves as the Chief Operating Officer, Construction & Development of Amherst. Rich’s team develops communities-for-rent that begin at multiple stages, from raw land to finished homes. Rich is also Head of Real Estate Operations for Main Street Renewal, Amherst’s property management company and leads the improvement, renovation, and maintenance of a 40,000+ single-family rental portfolio. Additionally, he is responsible for the field execution, and growth initiatives under Amherst Homes’ Studio Build, a modular building entity.

Rich brings more than 25 years of industry expertise to the firm. Prior to Amherst, Rich most recently served as the President of Dunhill Homes, a single-family homebuilder that develops land and acquires lots to construct single-family and multi-family homes for sale and rent. Prior to this, Rich spent three years at Colony Starwood Homes, most recently as Senior Vice President of Operations, where he was responsible for construction, renovation-turn, and warranty operations for a 30,000-asset portfolio. Rich also previously served as CEO of Emaar Dubai, one of the largest real estate developers in the world. During his tenure as CEO, he oversaw the construction of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, and the largest mall in the world, The Dubai Mall, as well as the very first Armani Hotel and over 5000 other residential units in and around the MENA region.

Rich is a retired Naval officer (SEAL), holding the rank of Rear Admiral. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds an MBA from Xavier University.