Morales Names 135 Transition Aides — Still No One From Providence’s Largest Employers or Universities

What happened

Providence Mayor-elect David Morales announced Thursday the membership of nine transition policy committees, totaling 135 people, GoLocalProv reports. The announcement followed Wednesday’s rollout of 11 transition co-chairs. Transition executive director June Rose said the committees’ job is to turn the campaign’s affordability agenda into “changes they can feel in their daily lives” and to “think boldly and bring forward recommendations the administration can put to work.”

The co-chairs are heavy on elected officials, city staff, nonprofits and a union political director. They include City Council President Rachel Miller; Ward 3 Councilor Sue AnderBois; former state representative Aaron Regunberg; Gonzalo Cuervo of the General Treasurer’s office; SEIU 1199 political director Alex Moore; Providence Police Lt. Terrence L. Green; and nonprofit and city-culture figures Charlotte Abotsi, Stephanie Gonzalez, Lisa Pina-Warren, Wole T. Akinbi and Chanda Womack, per GoLocal’s list.

Who is missing. GoLocal’s comparison is plain: “Unlike previous mayoral transition teams, Morales has no appointed members from major employers, financial services firms, or college and university administrators.” An editor’s note adds: “Morales did not include leaders from the City’s largest businesses or from the colleges and universities.” On Wednesday, after the co-chair list dropped with no business seats, Rose told GoLocal small-business committees were coming. Thursday’s list does include Small Business subcommittees (nighttime economy, small-business support, hospitality and tourism) with local venues, RIBBA’s Lisa Ranglin, Rhode Island Commerce’s Doris S. Blanchard, and the Providence Marriott Downtown’s Todd Lincoln, among others. That is not the same as putting a large employer, a bank, or a university administrator at the co-chair table. GoLocal notes prior transitions under Angel Taveras and Jorge Elorza had business leaders among the chairs.

The Providence Eye quotes Morales: “In the weeks ahead, our transition team will be hard at work, preparing bold policy proposals and budgetary ideas.” Miller said the team is “tapping seasoned talent that represents decades of experience in service, business, nonprofits, unions.”