PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Tuesday nominated the current acting director of the R.I. Department of Human Services and interim director of the Department of Business Regulation to become the permanent leaders of their respective state agencies.
Kimberly Merolla-Brito has more than 23 years of experience in various sectors of state service. Prior to her appointment to acting director of DHS in August 2022, she served as the deputy director for policy and operations since 2017.
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Elizabeth Dwyer has been with the R.I. Department of Business Regulation for more than 20 years, first as general counsel to the Insurance Division and then as associate and deputy director. She is a past president of the Rhode Island Women’s Bar Association.
The nominations now head to the R.I. Senate for approval.
“From the moment she ascended to the role of Director of DHS, Kimberly Merolla-Brito has been an asset for each and every Rhode Islander,” McKee said in a statement. “Her institutional knowledge has been beneficial in ensuring effective operations and service delivery to more than 300,000 people.”
Merolla-Brito succeeded Courtney E. Hopkins when she resigned in 2021. Brito previously served as Adminstrator of Family and Children’s Services. She has both a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Rhode Island College.
“Ensuring we help support and provide opportunities for advancement, while improving access for them, is of the utmost importance,” said Merolla-Brito in a statement. “I look forward to the process ahead and remain focused on the mission and vision of DHS.”
Dwyer, who has had a two decade career with the state, is a graduate of Providence College and Pepperdine University School of Law.
“I aim to expand on DBR’s record as an agency that responsibly and transparently regulates a wide variety of Rhode Island businesses with a strong and consistent focus on consumer protection, fairness, and regulatory innovation,” Dwyer said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing this work alongside the team at DBR and my distinguished colleagues in the McKee Administration.”
Sam Wood is a staff writer at PBN. Contact him at Wood@PBN.org
