Bennett leaving city economic-development post

JAMES S. BENNETT, the city's economic-development director, will leave his position in early January to return to private industry. / COURTESY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE
JAMES S. BENNETT, the city's economic-development director, will leave his position in early January to return to private industry. / COURTESY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE

PROVIDENCE – James S. Bennett, the city’s economic-development director, will leave his position in early January to return to private industry, the office of Mayor-Elect Jorge O. Elorza announced Wednesday.
Bennett will remain in the position until a new economic development director is chosen by the incoming administration. He was appointed to the position in 2011.
He could not be reached immediately for comment.
In a prepared statement, he said he was proud of several accomplishments in his tenure, which came in the immediate aftermath of the economic recession. Under his leadership, Providence froze the commercial tax rate for three consecutive years, completed a comprehensive rewrite of the zoning code and invested in Kennedy Plaza. During his tenure, the office oversaw a half-billion dollars of construction and investments in Providence.
“I am very proud of all we have accomplished to position our capital city for the future and feel the time is right to return to the private sector, where I have spent the majority of my career,” Bennett said in the release.

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