PBN Leaders & Achievers Awards 2026
GAIL ALOFSIN
University of Rhode Island Office of Strategic Initiatives associate director
Gail Alofsin’s career has been shaped by saying “yes” to opportunities, curiosity, networking since age 7 and paying attention to what gives her energy, or what she calls her “Ikigai,” a Japanese term meaning “reason for being.”
“My early career was sales, marketing and PR-focused,” Alofsin said. “I was invited to teach as adjunct faculty at the University of Rhode Island [in South Kingstown] while working for Newport Harbor Corp. [now Newport Restaurant Group] and running my own leadership training company. The common thread has always been people. I have been told I ‘collect and connect’ people.”
Today, as associate director in URI’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, Alofsin and her team partner with businesses, nonprofits and government agencies to create customized development programs focused on strengthening leadership, retention, productivity and customer experience statewide.
“At URI we deliver professional development that strengthens both people and organizations,” Alofsin said. “Whether I’m mentoring a student or helping an executive develop new skills, I have a passion for lifelong learning. Watching someone achieve a goal they didn’t think was possible is incredibly rewarding.”
For Alofsin, volunteering isn’t a job – it’s a calling.
“My parents taught us that giving is an opportunity versus an obligation,” Alofsin said. “During my junior year at Tufts University, I volunteered in Haiti for the first time and have continued since. My parents established the Haitian Health Foundation in Jeremie, providing medical care to over 250,000 people per year. I volunteer with the dental teams there and fundraise back home. It is a privilege.”
Alofsin says being hired close to 30 years ago at URI changed her life, and receiving an award for her work is humbling and meaningful.
“Throughout my life, I have been blessed to be surrounded by remarkable family, friends, teachers, colleagues, mentors and community leaders who have taught and inspired me,” Alofsin said. “It has been the ultimate gift to be on campus, creating curriculum and inspiring – and being inspired by – over 1,000 students to date. Now that is the biggest award I could ask for.”
