ACCOUNTING
Laura Da Fonseca
Laura Da Fonseca has been promoted to manager at Rooney, Plotkin & Willey, LLP. She joined the firm in 1996 and is based in the Newport office. She was formerly employed at Kane & Kane, Inc. in Fall River, Mass. Da Fonseca holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts and a Masters degree in taxation from Bryant College. She is a member of the National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the Massachusetts Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs. She is a resident of Swansea, Mass.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
ADVERTISING
Catherine Vella
Catherine Vella has joined the staff of Trainor Advertising as account coordinator. She has previously worked for several New York agencies. Vella is a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York City and the Philadelphia Art Institute. She resides in Naragansett.
ASSISTED LIVING
John L. Hopkins
John L. Hopkins has been named chief operating officer at Benchmark Assisted Living. He will be responsible for overseeing all areas of operation for the company’s 17 assisted and independent living communities throughout New England. He was formerly employed as executive vice president at Omni Hotels. Hopkins is a member of the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) and the Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association (Mass-ALFA), the American Hotel/Motel Association, Massachusetts Lodging Association and various Chambers of Commerce. He resides in Wakefield, Mass. with his wife Jean and two children.
BANKING
Elena A. Nardolillo
Elena A. Nardolillo has been promoted to assistant branch manager at First Bank and Trust Company of Providence. She will be responsible for all daily retail banking activities at the Washington Street branch. Nardolillo has worked for First Bank since 1994 and previously served as teller, customer service representative, head teller and branch coordinator. She was formerly employed as manager at Matthews Hallmark in Cranston. She graduated from St. Mary’s Academy of the Visitation and currently serves as treasurer for the Downtown Providence Merchants Association. She resides in Providence with her husband Kenneth.
Colleen Medeiros
Colleen Medeiros has been promoted to vice president of information technology at Bank of Newport. She will be responsible for directing the information technology department’s activities, including research, design, development and implementation of all telephone and data communications technology. Medeiros has held various positions with the bank over the last 20 years, most recently serving for two years as assistant vice president for information technology. She is a graduate of Rogers High School in Newport and attended Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass. for business administration. She resides in New Bedford, Mass. with her two children.
Stephen e. Bessette
Stephen E. Bessette has been appointed vice president and portfolio manager at Van Liew Trust Company. He was formerly employed at The Washington Trust Company, State Street Bank and Trust Company and Payne Webber. Bessette earned his BS in finance from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He is the treasurer of the Stonington Historical Society, a member of the Roger Williams Family Association and is active in other civic organizations. He is a native of Stonington, Conn.
EDUCATION
Marguerite M. Brown has been named vice president of development at Rhode Island College. She has served as director of development at Rhode Island College and executive director of its foundation since 1995. Brown previously served for 10 years in various capacities at the University of Rhode Island. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Wilson College in Chambersburg, Penn., a certificate in the Management Development Program from Harvard University, a master’s in public administration from URI and a doctorate in professional higher education administration from the University of Connecticut. She is a resident of Smithfield.
HEALTH CARE
Beverly C. Walters
Beverly C. Walters, M.D., a neurosurgeon with offices at 100 Butler Drive in Providence, has joined Landmark Medical Center as an active member of the medical staff. She is an associate professor of clinical neuroscience and neurosurgery residency program director at Brown University School of Medicine. Dr. Walters is a graduate of Georgia State University and McMaster University in Canada where she earned her M.D. She completed her residency and fellowship at the University of Toronto. She has been named to the Rhode Island Monthly list of top doctors in neurosurgery for four years. She is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Academy of Neurology, American College of Surgeons and the Association of Women Surgeons. She is the current president of the Rhode Island Neurological Society.
MANUFACTURING
Terrence J. Jones
Terence J. Jones has been appointed senior vice president at Astro-Med, Inc. of West Warwick. He will be responsible for consolidating Astro-Med’s Grass and Telefactor product lines. He previously served as vice president business development and process improvement at Fasson Roll Worldwide. Jones received his BS and MS in engineering from MIT in 1976. He resides in Bolton with his wife and two children.
REAL ESTATE
Estelle Smith
Estelle Smith, CRS, GRI and broker/co-owner at Benchmark Associates, Inc. has been installed as the 49th president of the Rhode Island Association of REALTORS (RIAR). She has been a REALTOR since 1983 as a member of the Newport County Board. She holds both the GRI (Graduate REALTOR Institute) and CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) designations. Smith was elected to the Newport County Board of Directors in 1991 and was the Newport Board President in 1996. She was selected “Newport County Board REALTOR of the Year in 1995 and has served as a director of the Rhode Island Association of REALTORS since 1993. She is a resident of Portsmouth.
RETIREMENT SERVICES/ASSISTED LIVING
Donald Walsh
Donald Walsh has been appointed administrator at The Village at Willow Crossings. His responsibilities will include managing the day to day operations and overseeing all staff on the campus of The Village at Willow Crossings. He previously was general manager at Fifty-Seven Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. Walsh is a resident of Newport.
