After a remarkable 40 years working in the affordable housing industry and capping off a 16-year career with Columbia Residential, Ray Kuniansky retired December 31, 2024. The following are his reflections on working with Noel Khalil, the Columbia Residential team, collaborating with industry leaders and partners, and project highlights.

Take us back to the beginning. How did you get started with Columbia Residential?

I knew Noel Khalil, founder of Columbia Residential, prior to his starting the company. I wrote an AHP grant for the first project he did on his own, known as Forrest Heights on Columbia Drive in Decatur. At the time, I had written a successful Federal Home Loan Bank AHP grant for Welcome House in Atlanta while working for Home Federal Savings and Loan Association. Noel was one of those people whose demeanor was so welcoming and friendly—he was like a big Teddy Bear. We connected because of business associates and we partnered on deals such as Columbia City Homes and Edgewood Senior on Moreland Avenue. I will always remember our great conversations and his infectious laugh.

I came to Columbia Residential in 2008, the height of the real estate recession. Noel had lost two key people in the development group, and I was losing the development opportunity that I had been working on for the previous two years. We both had a need and it ultimately turned into my becoming the Chief Development Officer at Columbia Residential.

Please share some of your thoughts on working with the team at Columbia Residential.

The Columbia Residential team has some of the best and brightest minds in the affordable housing industry. Over the years, I have enjoyed collaborating with and learning from team members throughout the company. Jim Grauley is an incredible asset as CEO. He is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and has a good heart. He clearly bought into the idea that our job is to build quality residential communities that happen to have low-income residents. As a leader of the company, he is carrying forward Noel’s vision.

After Noel passed away, everyone paused, trying to absorb what happened. I don’t think the company could have found a better person than Carmen Chubb to join the team as President. She has a calm, cool, rational demeanor with the right background and experience. Her industry background from the state and funding side is invaluable. She understands people, is a brilliant strategist, and is politically savvy. She also has a great heart and passion for the business.

Aaron Swain has also made a tremendous impact as President of Property Management. He has an incredible background and industry experience that has enabled him to make great strides in our property management company. During the pandemic, he worked tirelessly to attend to staff and residents’ needs. Ensuring continuity for resident services was critically important. He is very bright and has a big heart.

Robert Barfield and Betty Gomez have also been excellent collaborators. I’ve been particularly impressed with Robert’s innovative ideas during the design, bidding, and construction of our projects. I’ve also admired their problem-solving skills as we’ve had to navigate through hard choices along the way because of budget constraints and other concerns. Robert and Betty, as well as so many others, became not just co-workers but friends and family. That seems to be the way of working at Columbia Residential!

JHP, our architecture firm, has also been great to work with. Their team is highly talented, ego-free, highly collaborative, and always comes up with great solutions to complex issues during the design process. I also appreciate the fact that we review our projects within the year after construction is completed and people have lived in them to analyze what worked and what didn’t. Everyone works to continuously improve the product!

What are some of the most memorable projects that you’ve worked on?

I have enjoyed being the face for several partnerships, including the Housing Authority of Columbus Georgia. They are a top-notch organization. I was the primary project manager on Arbor Point for all three phases of development, as well as BTW Phases I and II. I managed the design process for BTW Phase III with Robert Barfield and assisted with the community engagement on The Banks at Mill Village. I was involved in six new developments in Columbus over the past ten years before Kris Bryant took over the relationship two years ago. Columbus Commons was a turning point for me and enabled me to learn a lot about design.

2100 Memorial in Houston was one of the most complex deals I’ve worked on. It’s probably the most significant and features one of the most iconic designs that will stand the test of time.

Since 2018, I worked with the Tallahassee Housing Authority (THA) to develop a master plan for a 30-acre site known as Orange Avenue Apartments. That plan resulted in the first two completed phases of Columbia Gardens at South City. The THA team was incredible to work with and between us we replaced the 200-unit Orange Avenue property with the first two phases of 290 units and a third phase to come. We are now working in partnership to develop a master plan for the Springfield Apartments in Tallahassee to do a similar redevelopment.

I had the honor to represent Columbia in Fort Worth, Texas, as well, and worked in partnership with my friends at Purpose Built Communities in several Purpose Built Communities in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia.

Ray has made an indelible imprint on the affordable housing industry, on affordable housing in the southeast, and on the lives of countless people—from his teammates and business partners who he has collaborated with, learned from, and mentored, as well as residents of Columbia Residential communities across the southeast. We wish him all the best as he enters his well-deserved retirement.