PROVIDENCE – In a shakeup of his inner circle, Gov. Donald L. Carcieri today announced plans to move his current director of administration into a job as deputy chief of staff, and shift his current transportation director into the top job at the R.I. Department of Administration.
Carcieri said he would nominate Jerome F. Williams, who has served as director of the R.I. Department of Transportation since January 2007, as the next director of administration. In a statement this afternoon, Williams said he expects to transition to the administration post over the next six to eight weeks. “The people of DOT work hard in many cases day and night to ensure that Rhode Island’s transportation needs are met,” he said. “I am going to miss being a part of the everyday activities here.”
Carcieri’s choice to replace Williams as transportation director is Michael Lewis, who as project director at the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is credited with rescuing the Big Dig.
Both nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate.
Beverly Najarian, who has served as director of administration since 2004, is to replace John R. Pagliarini as Carcieiri’s deputy chief of staff.
What will happen to Pagliarini is unclear. And he may not be the only senior administration official ousted in the governor’s administrative shuffle.
Carcieri also said he has appointed John Robitaille, president of Middletown-based Perspective Communications Group, as his senior advisor for communications. There’s no word yet on what that might mean for the governor’s current communications director, Steve Kass.
“I’m very pleased to announce that Bev Najarian and John Robitaille have agreed to join my senior staff,” Carcieri said.
“Bev has been one of my key aides since 2003. As director of the Department of Administration, she has successfully spearheaded a number of my government reform initiatives and saved millions of dollars for Rhode Island taxpayers,” the governor said.
“John Robitaille brings over 25 years of public relations, strategic, marketing and internal communications experience to his new role. … I’m very pleased that he was willing to give up his lucrative private business to join my team.”
Although Kass was not mentioned in the news release announcing Robitaille’s selection, that statement did say the appointment signaled the beginning of a restructuring of the governor’s media relations office.
Additional information is available from the governor’s office at www.ri.gov/governor.
