Rhode Island
GoLocalProv | Business | Exodus of Top Staff at Commerce RI Explodes Under McKee
Monday, February 26, 2024
L-R Secretary of Commerce Liz Tanner and Governor Dan McKee PHOTO: GoLocal
Top executives at Commerce Rhode Island, the State of Rhode Island’s economic development agency, have resigned at an alarming rate in the past two years.
In just the past 24 months, multiple top-tier executives have resigned, and in some top positions, the job has been turned over multiple times.
The turnover correlates with the last two years of Dan McKee’s governorship. And, much of the exodus has occurred since Liz Tanner took over as Secretary of Commerce beginning in June of 2022.
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In the past two years, Commerce has had 3 presidents and is now searching for its 4th TOP ROW Saglio, Fagan BOTTOM ROW: Ash
Revolving Door in the President’s Position
The President’s position at Commerce was held by Jesse Saglio for seven years, and then he resigned in February of 2022. Hilary Fagan took over as President, and then she resigned in December of 2022. Since then, Bill Ash has served as “acting” president.
Now, Ash has announced his departure. The President’s position will be vacant again.
Ash, before his tenure at Commerce, had more than 25 years of experience working with businesses as a lender, consultant, and investor. Previously, he held positions as managing director of M & A at Oppenheimer & Co. and was a senior managing director of The Tron Group — a Boston-based turnaround and business advisory firm.
Now, under McKee, Commerce will be looking for its fourth President in two years.
In an interview with Tanner, she said the departures do not reflect on the agency. “We are 100% stable,” said Tanner.
Chief Financial Officer Resigns
Last week, Justin Medeiros, the Chief Financial Officer/Senior Controller for Commerce, announced his resignation.
The top business recruitment position — the executive Vice President of Business Development position, has been vacant since Fagan was promoted to President in 2022.
Tanner said she has changed the approach to business recruitment. “We now have a clustered approach to attracting business,” said Tanner.
PHOTO: Elliott Stallion, Unsplash
Communications
The top communications position has also been a revolving door. In 2022, Matt Sheaff held the position of director of communication. Then, he was on loan to McKee’s office and recently resigned and took employment outside of Rhode Island.
Then, Brian Hodge was promoted to that position, and he then left the agency, a series of contract employees were engaged and then Commerce hired Matthew Touchette.
Five of the Top Eight Have Left in Just Two Years
According to an archived version of Commerce’s website, of the top eight professionals leading the organization, five have left. Only one, the former Secretary Stefan Pryor, is still in government service. Today, Pryor serves as Secretary of Housing.
Five of the top eight member of Commerce under McKee have resigned in the past two years. Stefan Pryor now serves as Secretary of Housing after a failed run for General Treasurer SOURCE: archived version of Commerce website Feb, 2022
Commerce Under Scrutiny
Presently, Commerce is facing scrutiny for its management of the bond deal for the Pawtucket minor league soccer stadium called Tidewater Landing. GoLocal uncovered concerns voiced by Pawtucket’s fiscal advisor in the summer of 2023. Commerce ignored those concerns.
After a series of exclusive articles by GoLocal, a feature published in Bloomberg — the global business publication — writes, “Taxpayers are paying dearly to bring a pro-sports team back to the faded industrial city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island.”
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The Rhode Island Blood Center is asking for donations after the fatal shooting at Brown University on Saturday.
Several donor centers have extended hours available as they respond to the emergency.
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Anyone interested can sign up for an appointment on the organization’s website.
PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Blood Center’s blood supply was low before Saturday’s mass shooting at Brown University, and it is immediately stepping up blood drives to meet the need, an official said Sunday.
“We were definitely dealing with some issues with inventory going into the incident,” Executive Director of Blood Operations Nicole Pineault said.
The supply was especially low for Type 0 positive and negative, which are often needed for mass casualty incidents, she said. Type 0 negative is considered the “universal” red blood donor, because it can be safely given to patients of any blood type.
Pineault attributed the low supply to weather, illness, and the lingering effects of the pandemic. With more people working from home, blood drives at office buildings are smaller, and young people — including college students — are not donating blood at the same rate as they did in the past, she said.
“There are a lot challenges,” she said.
But people can help by donating blood this week, Pineault said, suggesting they go to ribc.org or contact the Rhode Island Blood Center at (401) 453-8383 or (800) 283-8385.
The donor room at 405 Promenade St. in Providence is open seven days a week, Pineault said. Blood drives were already scheduled for this week at South Street Landing in Providence and at Brown Physicians, and the blood center is looking to add more blood drives in the Providence area this week, she said.
“It breaks my heart,” Pineault said of the shooting. “It’s a terrible tragedy. We run blood dives regularly on the Brown campus. Our heart goes out to all of the victims and the staff. We want to work with them to get the victims what they need.”
She said she cannot recall a similar mass shooting in Rhode Island.
“In moments of tragedy, it’s a reminder to the community how important the blood supply really is,” Pineault said. “It’s an easy way to give back, to help your neighbors, and be ready in unfortunate situations like this.”
The Rhode Island Blood Center has donor centers in Providence, Warwick, Middletown, Narragansett, and Woonsocket, and it has mobile blood drives, she noted.
On Sunday, the center’s website said “Donors urgently needed. Hours extended at some donor centers, 12/14.”
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
Authorities said two people were killed and eight more were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University, an Ivy League school in Rhode Island. Authorities said students were on campus for the second day of final exams.
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