New leaders will be coming to the state’s primary economic-development arm – and the sooner the better.
R.I. Commerce Corp. has lost two top leaders since the end of April, when Anika Kimble-Huntley quietly stepped down from her post overseeing tourism for a marketing job outside of the state.
On June 3, Commerce Secretary Elizabeth M. Tanner said she is leaving effective July 4 to lead a new nonprofit the state is creating to benefit from the throngs expected to attend next summer’s World Cup soccer matches in the region.
The nonprofit is an excellent, all-be-it short-term, economic-development idea with a much narrower focus than the significant job Ms. Tanner is leaving.
Ms. Tanner’s leadership and experience will be missed. The same is true of Ms. Kimble-Huntley, who last year announced a new statewide tourism campaign that Commerce R.I. has said little about since.
The state needs more than placeholders in these crucial positions. It needs thought leaders who recognize this is a critical time for the state’s struggling economy.