DBR Director Tanner named new R.I. commerce secretary

Updated at 11:37 a.m.

ELIZABETH M. TANNER, who has been the R.I. Department of Business Regulation's director since 2017, has been appointed as the state's new commerce secretary. /PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
ELIZABETH M. TANNER, who has been the R.I. Department of Business Regulation's director since 2017, has been appointed as the state's new commerce secretary. /PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

PROVIDENCE – The director of the R.I. Department of Business Regulation will shift over to R.I. Commerce Corp. to serve as the state’s new commerce secretary.

Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Monday announced that Elizabeth M. Tanner has been named the new commerce secretary and will begin her work “immediately.” Tanner takes over for Stefan Pryor, the state’s first commerce secretary, who resigned June 21 in order to run for state treasurer.

Tanner said in a statement it is a “honor” to step into a role allowing her to continue promoting the state’s economic and workforce development.

“[Gov. McKee and I] share the same commitment to helping small businesses grow in the Ocean State, especially as we continue our economic recovery,” Tanner said, “and I look forward to putting my skills to work as commerce secretary.”

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McKee said Tanner has led DBR since 2017, overseeing the state’s third-largest agency revenue source. Tanner’s efforts within the business community helped generate several small-business omnibus bills to “make things easier to do business in Rhode Island,” McKee said.

Tanner has prior experience working with R.I. Commerce. McKee said she was R.I. Commerce’s vice president of client services, where Tanner provided small businesses with counseling, resources and incentive products, before joining DBR.

“Liz knows the ins-and-outs of small business and she has proven she will do what it takes to make Rhode Island a better place to live and work,” McKee said in a statement. “When faced with challenges, Liz has always come out on top. She advocates for policy that is efficient and outside-the-box and I know she will get the job done to continue Rhode Island’s growing momentum.”

Typically, the Senate must approve a nominee before they can serve as commerce secretary. But Senate spokesperson Greg Pare told Providence Business News Monday that Tanner can immediately take the job because the Senate is not in session. Once the Senate reconvenes, Pare said senators have 60 legislative days to act on Tanner’s appointment as the next commerce secretary.

Elizabeth K. Dwyer, DBR’s deputy director and superintendent of financial service, will serve as DBR’s interim director while the department searches for a permanent director, McKee said.

(SUBS penultimate paragraph with Pare comment on Senate confirmation.)

James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.

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1 COMMENT

  1. Pryor was the first RI SoC and accomplished nothing except costing taxpayers $223,000 per year.
    Tanner, like Pryor, is just another waste of taxpayer dollars.
    McKee is just another “monkey see, monkey do” governor.
    The RI SoC position should be eliminated and McKee voted out of office. He has done enough damage already.