Almost a year after its inaugural meeting, the Rhode Island Life Science Hub has nearly cemented its hire of a full-time president and CEO, receiving the rubber stamp of the Rhode Island Senate Committee on Finance in a hearing Thursday.

The committee’s unanimous vote advances the appointment of Dr. Mark Turco to the full R.I. Senate, which has scheduled the final confirmation vote for Jan. 21, Greg Paré, a Senate spokesperson said in an email.

Finding a full-time president to lead the nascent life science agency and complement the work of its 15-member, volunteer board of directors, has been a priority since the board’s first meeting in January 2024. But finding that person took longer than expected, with the board finalizing a three-year contract with Turco in December. 

The extra time ended up benefiting the search, said Neil Steinberg, chairman of the agency’s board of directors.

“One of the things we found is that, as we got delayed, the more qualified candidates we had because people knew what we’re about,” Steinberg said in remarks to lawmakers Thursday. 

Turco’s confirmation by the Senate — required under the state budget article that created the agency — is the “seminal event” for the Life Science Hub, Steinberg said.

“We got a very smart person to head this and we’re excited about that,” Steinberg said. “He had the most breadth of experience to bring to the table. And, his wife was from Pawtucket.”

Turco, a Philadelphia native who relocated to Rhode Island 12 years ago, highlighted his 25 years of experience in the medical and research industry, starting as a cardiologist, with stints in academia, research and as CEO of two startup businesses. He was plucked from a pool of more than 300 candidates through a nationwide search, led by a professional consulting firm enlisted by the Hub board.

“We are here so we can impact lives,” Turco said. “We can improve health and well being in Rhode Island and beyond. We can also create jobs and grow our economy.”

Establishing Rhode Island as a hub for medical and scientific research and entrepreneurship, similar to Cambridge and Worcester in Massachusetts, has been a top priority for lawmakers and industry leaders. While the Ocean State doesn’t have the name recognition in life sciences that its Commonwealth counterpart enjoys, Turco insisted the foundational pieces — a skilled workforce, academic and health care institutions, and a spirit of innovation — were already in place.

“Rather than the state being a series of silos, we hope to be the conveners,” Turco said. “Innovation is a team sport and that’s how we will succeed in our efforts.”

Lawmakers peppered Turco with questions during the 45-minute hearing, seeking clarity on his short and long-term goals for the agency, and spending plans. The state’s fiscal 2024 budget allotted $45 million to the agency, part of which will cover Turco’s $400,000 annual salary.

“We’re spending taxpayer dollars here,” Sen. Lou DiPalma, Senate Finance chairman and a Middletown Democrat said. “We will need to see ‘Here’s the why.’”

Turco also pledged to seek additional funding, including establishing a venture fund to accept private investments and an incorporated 501(c)(3). But he will also be making an ask of lawmakers in the state budget that starts July 1, though he did not say how much.

Steinberg highlighted the accomplishments the agency has achieved so far. Chief among them: Inking agreements with project partners to open a first-of-its-kind state wet lab incubator space within the new state public health laboratory in the I-195 Redevelopment District. The $16 million, 30,000-square-foot incubator space is expected to open in December 2025.

If approved by the full Senate, Turco will serve a three-year term as Hub CEO, expiring Jan. 15, 2028.

JOE SAMBA in WAKEFIELD, R.I.

Joe Samba may be a New Englander, but he sure has found a (musical) home in the Caribbean. The Massachusetts-born reggae-rocker was behind 2019′s moody “The Wrong Impression,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart that spring. Samba followed it with 2022′s “Far From Forever” and last year’s genre-shifting “Lifeline,” a collection threaded together with Samba’s smooth voice. Samba plays Ocean Mist (with special guest Dudemanbro) in Wakefield, R.I. on Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets: $20 advance, $25 day of show.

THE GILDED AGE ORCHESTRA OF NEWPORT in CRANSTON, R.I.

Rhode Island’s own Ambassador J. William Middendorf II may be best known as the former secretary of the US Navy and as the US Ambassador to The Netherlands. But Middendorf is also a composer, with symphonies and more than 100 marches to his name. On Saturday, the Gilded Age Orchestra of Newport will present “To Rhode Island, with Love,” an evening of music composed by Middendorf in celebration of his 100th birthday this past September, featuring a performance of the ambassador’s “Ocean State Symphony.” The orchestra will perform at The Historic Park Theater and Event Center in Cranston, R.I., on Saturday at 7 p.m. Tickets: $54.

RUMFORD JUNCTION in EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.

One could say The Band brought it all back home with its iconic 1968 release, “Music From Big Pink,” having named the landmark debut album after the colorful rented home the group once shared in Woodstock, N.Y. And in that way, Rumford Junction may be following The Band’s homespun footsteps even beyond their shared roots-rock sound. The East Providence band started as a group of neighbors playing together on lawns and front porches to pass the time during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and now it has released an album, “Tributaries.” The nine-track release was inspired by music from artists the band frequently covers, including Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Jason Isbell, and, yes, The Band. Rumford Junction (with opener CRYS) will perform a few at Myrtle in East Providence, R.I., on Sunday at 2 p.m. during a record release party. There is no cover charge.

KAT & BRAD in WESTERLY, R.I.

Brad Bensko and Kathleen Parks, known collectively as the duo, Kat & Brad, put an incredibly wide range of influences through their folksy pairing. The two said they find inspiration in everything from American Songbook standards to 1950s and ′60s pop, and impressively funnel it all through their two voices, a guitar, a violin, and a mandolin. Their latest travels throughout New England will bring them to The Tap Room at The Knickerbocker in Westerly, R.I., on Sunday at 7 p.m. There is no cover charge.

Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.

The only topic on anyone’s mind in recent months has been the health of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, and he didn’t make a great first impression Tuesday afternoon. The 76-year-old has been battling cancer, and it has clearly taken its toll on him. He’s lost weight. He’s moving more slowly. And he missed most of the session last year. But he easily won reelection in Senate District 4 last fall, and then beat back a challenge for the presidency from Senator Ryan Pearson, his former majority leader.

Now he’s locked in for another two-year term leading the Senate, but the open question among his colleagues – and anyone paying any attention to Rhode Island politics – is whether he’s up for the job.

From the front row: My colleague Ed Fitzpatrick was in the chamber Tuesday for opening day, so I asked him to explain what happened.

Ed writes: “After battling cancer and shingles over the last year, Senate President Ruggerio’s No. 1 priority had to be showing that he was back in charge and capable of presiding over the chamber. But in the roll call for Senate president, he paused and then voted ‘present’ rather than voting for himself. At first, his vote drew laughs. And if he meant it as a joke, it would have been seen as a bad-ass response to the rebels who also voted ‘present,’ in effect abstaining.”

But after the session, a tired-looking Ruggerio told reporters he hadn’t heard the question and meant to vote for himself. Ruggerio had no opponent in Tuesday’s vote, so in a way his vote wasn’t an issue. But his confusion over the vote for his own leadership had the State House buzzing, showing that Ruggerio’s health remains a major issue in the Senate.

The opening day of the legislative session is often tightly scripted. But the Senate session seemed off from the get-go, when Ruggerio was sworn in and placed his hand on a Bible app on Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz’s cell phone because no one remembered to bring a Bible.

The bigger picture: It’s easy to compare Ruggerio’s poor health to President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection campaign last year following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump. But being president of the Rhode Island senate doesn’t come with the nuclear codes, and the state government will be fully functional whether Ruggerio is present or not.

Still, within the chamber, the concern is real.

He won the presidency with 26 out of 38 votes, which was comfortable but not overwhelming the way it has been in previous years. That puts a tremendous amount of pressure on Ruggerio’s staff and leadership newbies like Majority Leader Val Lawson and Whip David Tikoian to hold down the fort.

The Senate only plans to meet once a week as a full body, so it’s possible that Ruggerio’s committee chairs will hold high-profile hearings – think Oversight, for example – that could serve to shield the president for a while. But there will come a time in the coming months where Ruggerio is going to have to prove to the people who just voted for him again as president that he is fit to lead the chamber.

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.