PROVIDENCE – James E. Thorsen on April 28 will step down from his role as the R.I. Department of Administration’s director after two years and will return to the U.S. Department of Treasury, Gov. Daniel J. McKee announced Friday.
In turn, Brian Daniels, the director of the R.I. Office of Management and Budget, will serve as the DOA’s interim director. The governor’s office did not immediately respond Friday to questions as to why Thorsen is heading back to the federal treasury department and what prompted the need for a leadership change.
Prior to his role with the DOA beginning in 2021, Thorsen served for five years as an advisor for the U.S. treasury department. He provided “assistance in the development and implementation of government financial management best practices to developing countries,” according to Thorsen’s LinkedIn profile.
“Jim’s strong history of public service, combined with his business experience, gave him the tools to be a strong and effective leader of one of our State’s largest and most crucial departments,” McKee said in a statement. “We are grateful for his commitment to the State while we navigated a once-in-a-generation pandemic. He will be missed, and I wish him the best in his next endeavor.”
Daniels, a former executive director for the Rhode Island League of Cites and Towns, has more than 20 years of experience working in various levels of local, state and federal government. In his role with RIOMB, Daniels, McKee said, originally as Rhode Island’s first director of performance management, responsible for reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of major government programs. He also developed a “cost-benefit model” to evaluate adult justice and child welfare programs, McKee said.
In a statement, Daniels said that he in his interim role is “committed to advancing” Thorsen’s vision of “making state government more effective and responsive.”
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.
interesting to see that the rats have been fleeing the sinking ship. We’re changing the RI State motto to HOPELESS. Hopefully, Jim can put his expertise to good use at Treasury trying to straighten out the economic mess Biden has created.