The Future of Providence & Rhode Island

As Rhode Island’s first female governor, Gina Raimondo’s has consistently prioritized rebuilding the middle class and creating opportunity for everyone. In her two years in office, she’s kick-started the state’s economy to better attract entrepreneurs, create jobs, encourage business creation and growth, and foster innovation throughout state government. Since her swearing-in, Rhode Island has replaced every private-sector job lost during the Great Recession. The Governor has attracted top companies like GE Digital, Johnson & Johnson, Virgin Pulse, and the Cambridge Innovation Center to relocate to the Ocean State while also making critical investments in existing companies like A.T. Cross to help them expand in-state. For most of the time she was campaigning for Governor, Rhode Island had the highest unemployment in the county; now, the state average is below the national average for the first time since 2005. The Ocean State ranks 28 th for jobs and remains in the top 3 for its innovation economy. Knowing the great jobs being created in Rhode Island need talented people—and wanting those jobs to go to Rhode Islanders—Governor Raimondo has made education advancements central to her economic growth plans and invested anew in early education, computer science, and public schools at every grade level. She also proposed the Rhode Island Promise Scholarship, a first-of- its-kind program that would provide two years of in-state college tuition at public institutions to every Rhode Island high-school graduate. Governor Raimondo is working hard to ensure that, together, we’ll meet the challenges and build a stronger, better future for every Rhode Islander.

Stefan Pryor serves as Rhode Island’s first Secretary of Commerce. Appointed by Governor Gina M. Raimondo and confirmed unanimously by the Rhode Island State Senate in 2015, Secretary Pryor oversees and coordinates the State agencies and offices responsible for economic development, business regulation, housing, and workforce development. Pryor served for approximately five years (2006-2011) as Deputy Mayor and Director of Economic and Housing Development in the City of Newark, NJ. Pryor and his team played a key role in orchestrating plans for Newark’s first new downtown hotel in 40 years and first new office tower in 20 years. They also helped recruit new commercial tenants to Newark including Panasonic (North American headquarters), Manischewitz (world headquarters), Pitney Bowes, Standard Chartered Bank, and Bartlett Dairy. Before his work in Newark, Pryor was President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC). The LMDC was created in the aftermath of September 11th by the State and City of New York to plan and help coordinate the physical rebuilding and economic revitalization of Lower Manhattan including the World Trade Center site. From 2002-2006, Pryor served in a number of leadership capacities at the agency, culminating in his service as the LMDC’s President. Pryor previously served as a Vice President at the Partnership for New York City, where he led the organization’s public education initiatives including a program which worked in collaboration with two low-performing, high-poverty NYC school districts. Pryor served as the Commissioner of Education for the State of Connecticut (2011-2015). During his tenure, Connecticut passed landmark legislation aimed at closing achievement gaps, improving chronically underperforming schools and districts, enhancing educator effectiveness, and increasing rigor and raising expectations for all students. Pryor received his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University.

James J. Karam is President, CEO, and founder of First Bristol Corporation and provides the leadership and direction for this 35 year old regional Real Estate Development and Management Company. Mr. Karam’s commitment to excellence is evidenced by the successful nature of the company’s varied developments and his recognition for being in the forefront of this ever- changing industry. Mr. Karam is also co-owner of WSAR and WHTB radio stations, serving the Massachusetts Southcoast region.   Mr. Karam’s current and past professional and civic affiliations are extensive. He has devoted many hours to civic and charitable endeavors, especially in the area of public Higher Education, serving for ten years as a Trustee of the UMass Five Campus System and four years as Chairman of its Board. He is currently Chair of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Boston, MA. Appointed by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, he was formerly the Chair of the Board of the largest community health care system in New England, Caritas Christi. Actively part of the Mass. Southcoast-Business community, he was a past Co- Chairman of the Southcoast Economic Development partnership and is Chair of the Advisory Board of the Mass. Accelerator for Biomanufacturing (MAB). In the for profit area, Mr. Karam serves on the Board of Directors of Steward Health Care System, a for-profit Boston based hospital system, which is a portfolio company of Cerberus Capital and is Chair of the Board of its offshore captive insurance company, TRACO Ltd.   Mr. Karam is an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. In addition, he is also the recipient of numerous awards including: the Fall River Chamber of Commerce “Outstanding Citizen” award, the University of Massachusetts “Entrepreneur of the Year” award, an “Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration” from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, an “Honorary Doctorate of Law” from the Southern New England School of Law (now UMass Dartmouth Law School), and Outstanding Trustee Achievement Award from the New England Board of Higher Education.

Prior to his retirement on January 1 st 2015, Michael F. McNally was one of nine members of Skanska AB’s Senior Executive Team responsible for Skanska’s $20 billion global operations. As President and CEO of Skanska USA Inc., he was directly responsible for Skanska’s US Construction Operations, USA Building, which specializes in building construction and Skanska USA Civil, which is focused on industrial and civil infrastructure work. From 2009 through 2012, Mike was also responsible for Skanska’s US Commercial Development operations and all Skanska activities of its 11,000 employee Latin American unit. Under Mike’s leadership, Skanska grew and strengthen its presence in the U.S., with more than 9,600 employees in 39 offices and more than 800 active projects across the country, generating $7.0 billion in construction revenue in 2014 making the US operation the largest and most profitable in Skanska. Under Mike’s leadership Skanska USA grew to be the second largest domestic U.S. building contractor and third largest domestic U.S. heavy civil contractor. Mike holds a BSCE degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island. Mike currently sits on the board of directors for Granite Construction (GVA), Terracon Consultants and Engineers, the US Green Building Council (chairman for 2017) and was appointed by the governor of Rhode Island to sit on the board of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation. He is also on the advisory board of the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure (AIAI). Prior to retirement he was on the national board of the ACE Mentoring Program and the Association for the Improvement of American Infrastructure. He was Co-Chair of the YMCA of Greater New York “Strong Kids” Campaign, Member of the Moles Association, Construction Industry Roundtable, Incident and Injury Free CEO Forum, and the Construction Industry Safety Initiative, Vice Chairman of New York Building Congress and member of US Chamber of Commerce “Let’s Rebuild America” leadership committee.

Jesse serves Managing Director and Head of the Investments group and is a key member of the Commerce Corporation’s core executive team. He develops and executes a portfolio investment strategy across multiple asset types and sectors for investments at varying stages of maturity. Professional Background Prior to joining the Commerce Corporation, Jesse served as the director of the AIG Investment Program for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In that role, he lead the unwind of the treasury’s $70-billion TARP investment in AIG and worked with the Federal Reserve to monetize its position in the federal government’s $182-billion commitment to AIG to stabilize the U.S. financial system during the 2008 financial crisis. Before joining the treasury, Jesse served as the head of business development for a boutique healthcare advisory and consulting business. Jesse began his career as a mergers, acquisitions and restructuring investment banker, having executed approximately $75 billion of transactions across a wide variety of industries during his career at Morgan Stanley, Lazard and Evercore Partners. Education Jesse earned his MBA from Columbia University and received his undergraduate degree in finance and marketing from Georgetown University.

Alden joined CBRE/New England in 1994 and since then has primarily focused on the sales and leasing of office space and on the sale of investment property. Alden’s unrivalled analytical ability affords him an expertise in market analysis as well. He has a highly personal, hands-on approach with which he serves his clients in all real estate capacities. His extensive community involvement provides him strong relationships in the business community.

Laurie White is President of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce -- Rhode Island’s largest private sector business advocacy and economic development organization. She has been President since October 2005. The mission of the Chamber is to be the advocate for growing and protecting the business community in Rhode Island. A significant portion of the Chamber’s work is devoted to developing the state’s Knowledge Economy by driving advanced industry formation, entrepreneurship, medical, academic and industry collaboration, technology transfer, talent retention, competitive tax policy and business attraction. She is a frequent speaker on these subjects. Laurie is an honors graduate of the University of Rhode Island where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in 1981. She was the recipient of the University’s Distinguished Achievement Award from the College of Arts and Sciences in October of 2010. She received an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University in May of 2010. In recognition of her advocacy work in support of public higher education, she was inducted into the Community College of Rhode Island Hall of Fame in April of 2010. She was inducted into The Prout School’s Hall of Fame in October of 2008. In 2002, she earned the designation Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives and is the only Chamber professional in Rhode Island to hold that national distinction. In 2006, she completed the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business “Directors Consortium” which focused on best practices in corporate governance. She is also a 1995 graduate of the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina. Laurie is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Aquila Municipal Trust – municipal bond fund complex with offerings in Rhode Island, Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah; a member of the Executive Board of the University of Rhode Island Foundation; a member of the Board of Trustees of Johnson and Wales University; a member of the Board of Directors of the Rhode Island Quality Institute; a member of the Board of Governors of the Rhode Island Commodores; and a member of the Board of Directors and an Officer of the John F. White & Company, Inc. From January 2003 to July 2004, Laurie served as Executive Counselor to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island for Policy and Communications. She returned to the Chamber as Executive Vice President in October 2004. Prior to her 18 months of service in the Executive Branch, Laurie was Senior Vice President of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining the Chamber in 1989, Laurie was Public Information Officer at the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development and Assignment Editor at ABC-6 Television in Providence. She and her husband, Jim Taricani, reside in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

As Providence’s 38 th Mayor, Jorge O. Elorza has strived to build a Providence that works for all of its residents. Since taking office in January 2015, Mayor Elorza has prioritized education, ensuring transparency in city government, improving city services and providing a sound financial future for the capital city. Driven by the belief that all children should have the opportunity to thrive in a supportive environment, Mayor Elorza is confident there is no better investment Providence can make than investing in the future of its youth. In addition to hosting the first ever All In: Providence Education Summit, Mayor Elorza has prioritized preparing youth for success by increasing summer education and employment opportunities, improving access-to- technology by introducing 8,000 new computers in schools and continued support for Providence Talks, a nationally recognized program aimed at addressing the word gap. These pro-growth and progressive polices are putting Providence on the path to becoming the top urban school district in New England. Under Mayor Elorza’s leadership, the city has practiced responsible budgeting practices and streamlined services across city departments resulting in the largest operating surplus realized in over 20 years ($10.3M). In November 2016, Fitch Ratings cited the city’s surplus, structural changes to the FY17 budget, and the elimination of risk of one-time revenues as rational to upgrade the city’s credit rating by two grades, from a BBB- to an A-. Mayor Elorza believes that city services should be innovative, efficient, transparent and accessible for all residents and visitors. In March 2016, under his leadership the Mayor’s Center for City Services launched the PVD311 system for 24/7 access to constituent services. By streamlining processes, providing customer service training and continuously encouraging city staff to look for efficiency in all transactions, City Hall has taken strides in providing high quality city services. As a member of the United States Conferences of Mayors, Mayor Elorza serves as Vice Chair of the Standing Committee on Community Development and Housing, co-chairs the Committee for Immigration Reform, and is a member of the Conference’s Advisory Board. The Mayor has been an outspoken national voice on issues such as immigration reform, healthcare, and environmental protection, placing an emphasis on the work done at the local level. Born and raised in Providence, Mayor Elorza is a graduate of Classical High school, the University of Rhode Island, and Harvard Law School. Prior to being elected Mayor, he served as a Providence Housing Court Judge and co-founded the Latino Policy Institute while he served as a professor at Roger Williams Law School. As an avid cyclist Mayor Elorza frequently commutes by bicycle from his home in Silver Lake to City Hall.

Rajiv Kumar serves as Chief Medical Officer and President of Virgin Pulse Institute, which provides Virgin Pulse clients with cutting-edge Value-on-Investment (VOI) studies and promotes research on health, wellbeing and employee engagement. Dr. Rajiv Kumar’s responsibilities also include overseeing the Virgin Pulse Science Advisory Board and the organization’s analytics team. Dr. Kumar joined Virgin Pulse in 2016, following the company’s acquisition of ShapeUp, an employee wellbeing company that he founded in 2006. As CEO of ShapeUp, he led the growth of the company from a two-person, dorm-room startup to a global company with over 100 employees, 800 customers, and 2 million participants around the world. During his time at ShapeUp, he pioneered new approaches to leveraging social connections to enhance employee health and wellbeing and co-authored several peer-reviewed studies on the relationship between social networks and healthy behavior. Dr. Kumar earned his medical degree from the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and has focused his career on prevention, public health, and innovation in health care. He also received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from Brown University.

In his role as Chief Innovation Officer, Aidan has driven innovation in Ximedica’s core markets of medical device development, consumer healthcare and m-health. Aidan is a managing partner of the New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMIC), a multi institutional collaboration focused on advancement of disruptive innovation in Healthcare. Aidan’s expertise in human centered design and white space innovation has helped bring hundreds of products to market that range from drug compliance aids to wearable therapeutics, home monitoring products and complex surgical systems. He is named in over 70 patents. Aidan has an undergraduate degree from Central St Martins in Product Design/Engineering and a Masters in Industrial Design from RISD. He sits on the boards of Coastal Medical Group, Save the Bay and MassArt’s Corporate Advisory and advises multiple regional Start-Ups.

Chris is a partner at the law firm of Sherin and Lodgen LLP, with offices in Providence and Boston. Sherin and Lodgen LLP is recognized by Chambers USA and U.S. News & World Report as an industry leader in Commercial Real Estate, Labor and Employment Law, and Business Litigation. Chris helps his clients solve problems and achieve their business and professional objectives while protecting their legal rights. His clients are diverse and broad-based: manufacturers, distributors, real estate developers, energy companies, life science and technology companies, retail shopping centers, lawyers and law firms, and professionals and executives. Licensed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Chris has been recognized by Providence Business News and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Chris also currently serves in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, representing Providence. He was recently re-elected by his Democratic House colleagues to serve as Deputy Majority Whip. His legislative accomplishments include, among other things, the Innovate RI Small Business program to assist Rhode Island businesses in applying for federal funds targeting research and innovation; and the Stay Invested in RI / Wavemaker program to promote economic development by attracting and retaining graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, design, and medicine and providing up to four years of student loan debt relief for those who choose to work in Rhode Island. Chris received his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard.

Cliff Wood is the Executive Director of the Providence Foundation, whose primary focus is to create an environment that is conducive to economic development and sustained investment in downtown Providence. He is also Executive Director of the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy, a public-private partnership that ensures the exceptional management of Providence’s downtown public spaces. Mr. Wood is a former Providence City Council member where he served as Deputy Majority Leader and Chairman of the Committee on Public Education. A longstanding leader in Providence’s efforts to reimagine its downtown district, Cliff has previously held positions at Cornish Associates, a New Urbanist development company formed to rebuild Providence’s urban core, and was the founding director of Providence's Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, where he co-founded the Providence Sound Session music festival. Before moving to Providence in 1997, Cliff coordinated strategy for the US Climate Action Network to lobby for an effective international treaty on climate change. Cliff earned a Master of Arts from Clark University in environmental science and policy and a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Albany