ACCOUNTING
Stephanie L. Provost
Stephanie L. Provost has been elected president of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA). Her responsibilities will include building the membership and strengthening the program of the local chapter. Provost is accounting manager at Arkwright, Inc. in Fiskeville, where she has been employed since 1998. She has also held accounting positions at Cooley, Inc., Cumberland Engineering and Textron, Inc. She holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Rhode Island College.
ADVERTISING
Larson Gunness
Larson Gunness has joined America House Communications as vice president of account service. He was formerly employed as marketing director for the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (EDC), where he was responsible for recruiting new business to Rhode Island, expanding statewide tourism, preparing market research and implementing inner-city development efforts. He also worked for Fidelity Investments and owned and operated the ELG Company of Boston, a sponsorship sales and marketing company. Gunness holds a masters of science degree in management from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor of arts at Kenyon College in Ohio. He is a former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic.
Sharon Weisleder
Shannon Weisleder has joined Duffy & Shanley, Inc. of Providence as public relations account executive. She will be responsible for managing the daily account activities and event planning for Duffy & Shanley clients. She was formerly employed at Media Pro International. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Weisleder has a bachelor of arts degree in communications from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. She is a resident of Newport.
BANKING
Leslie R. Dickson
Leslie R. Dickson has been named vice president, retail banking sales manager at First Federal Savings Bank of America (FIRSTFED). She will be responsible for both the development of retail banking sales programming and the bank’s sales and service center. Dickson joined FIRSTFED in 1991 as retail funds products/sales manager and was promoted to banking group sales manager in 1998. She received her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Johnson & Wales University and is a graduate of the School of Bank Marketing. She is president of the Massasoit Chapter of Financial Women International and resides in Warren.
Kathy O’Donnell
Kathy O’Donnell has been promoted to vice president/corporate affairs for Citizens Bank. She previously served as assistant vice president/director of public relations for the bank. O’Donnell received a bachelor’s in journalism and speech communication from the University of Rhode Island in 1990. She is active in with Children’s Friend and Service in Providence and the University of Rhode Island Alumni Association. She is a resident of Wakefield.
INSURANCE
Brian M. Hunter
Brian M. Hunter, CPCU, CIC, AIS, API, CPIM was recently elected president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Rhode Island (IIARI) at the annual meeting held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Goat Island, Newport. He is president of the Hunter Insurance Agency, Inc. of Lincoln and has been an agent for 17 years. He began Hunter Insurance in October 1989. Hunter was elected to the IIARI board of directors in 1994 as a district vice-president. He was elected to serve as a member of the IIARI executive committee in 1997.
MANUFACTURING
Suresh Swaminathan
Suresh Swaminathan has been named business manager-thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) division at Teknor Apex Company of Pawtucket. He will chair the TPE business team and be responsible for establishing the strategic vision for Teknor’s thermoplastic elastomer compound business. He has been with Teknor Apex for 13 years, most recently as manager of business development and sales for the specialty elastomers group located in St. Albans, Vermont. Swaminathan has also served as group leader of process engineering, technical manager of the vinyl group, plant manager and market development specialist for the vinyl and TPE compounds at the company. He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in chemical engineering from the University of Madras in India, a master’s degree in polymer engineering from the University of Akron and is working on a master’s in marketing.
Michael Silveira
Michael F. Silveira has joined Astro-Med, Inc. of West Warwick as corporate controller. His responsibilities will include accounting, financial reporting, financial analysis and tax services. Silveira was formerly employed as manager of business analysis-industrial products, mergers and acquisitions at Textron, Inc., where he managed and performed financial analysis on acquisition candidates and determined the validity of financial projections. He received his bachelor’s in business administration from Providence College in 1988 and is a Certified Public Accountant in R.I. He resides in Seekonk, Mass. with his wife and two children.
RETIREMENT SERVICES
Jennifer Deluca
Jennifer DeLuca has been named marketing director at the corporate headquarters of Village Retirement Communities in Greenville. She will manage the company’s corporate marketing department and oversee all marketing and communications efforts for the company’s ten villages throughout Southern New England. She previously was director of public relations for Village Retirement Communities.
TOURISM
Dennis R. Labossiere
Dennis R. Labossiere has joined the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association as education foundation director. He will be plan and administer the educational activities conducted by the Association and will act as a liaison between the industry and academic community in Rhode Island as well as the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation and the American Hotel and Motel Association Educational Institute. Labossiere was formerly employed as president and CEO of Jenny’s Caterers, Inc. and was a founding member of the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association Education Foundation. He has taught catering and business seminars for the National Caterers Association and the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. He holds a degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University and resides in Lincoln.
