Providence, R.I. – Governor-elect Lincoln D. Chafee announced today the roster of panelists who will participate in this Friday’s budget summit at Rhode Island College’s Sapinsley Hall. The list, Chafee says, represents a “broad range of perspectives.”
“I will be seeking input and perspective from all sectors as I begin the challenging process of addressing our massive deficit,” Chafee said. “The group assembled for this budget summit offers a broad range of perspectives on the critical issues that are so important to an examination of the budget process. We have representatives from a variety of groups, organizations, and communities – experts and stakeholders who I will continue to collaborate with as a I work to balance the budget and bring job creation and economic growth to our state.”
Governor-elect Chafee pledged in his gubernatorial campaign to convene a budget summit during the transition period to address in a group setting the state’s significant deficit and to discuss an initial framework for a balanced budget.
The full roster of panelists is listed below, along with the primary group, community, or perspective they represent. They will participate in one of two panel discussions moderated by Department of Administration Director-designate Richard Licht. Preceding the discussions will be a welcome address from Governor-elect Chafee and a briefing on defining the budget problem, led by Acting Director of the Department of Revenue Rosemary Booth Gallogly and State Budget Officer Thomas Mullaney.
The event is open to the public, but seating is limited. All those wishing to attend can find further information and RSVP at www.governorelectchafee.org.
Panelists, Rhode Island State Budget Summit
- Public Expenditure Accountability: John Simmons, Executive Director, Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council
- Education: Robert Flanders, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Regents
- Higher Education: Raymond DiPasquale, Commissioner of Higher Education
- Health Care/Providers: Elizabeth Roberts, Lieutenant Governor (tentative)
- Human Services/Advocates: Anne Nolan, President of Crossroads
- Labor: George Nee, Executive Director, AFL-CIO
- Business: Helena Buonanno Foulkes, EVP and CMO at CVS Caremark
- Small Business: Kimberly McDonough, President, Advanced Pharmacy Concepts
- Municipalities: Scott Avedisian, Mayor of Warwick
- Municipalities: Diane Mederos, Bristol Town Administrator, President of RI League of Cities and Towns
- Wise Growth/Environmental/Historic Preservation: Scott Wolf, Grow Smart RI
- Minority-Owned Business: Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, Assoc. Chair of Community Relationships
Governor-elect Lincoln D. Chafee will be the first independent Governor in Rhode Island history. His winning campaign promised a new way forward for Rhode Island based on honesty, integrity, and independence. Chafee has pledged to utilize the state’s existing assets to maximize economic growth and job creation, to address the state’s fiscal instability through an honest budget process, and to root out the cronyism and corruption that have long run rampant in Rhode Island and are harmful to economic growth. Chafee previously served four years on the Warwick City Council, nearly four two-year terms as Mayor of Warwick, and seven years as US Senator. Most recently, he spent two years as Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Brown’s Watson Institute for International Studies, and wrote Against the Tide: How a Compliant Congress Empowered a Reckless President.
Contact: Mike Trainor Office: 401-222-4029 Cell: 401-252-1097 mtrainor@governorelectchafee.org