PROVIDENCE – Dave Proulx will temporarily fill the void at the Rhode Island School of Design when the college’s President Rosanne Somerson retires next month.
The arts college announced Wednesday that its board of directors has selected Proulx, RISD’s current senior vice president of finance and administration, to serve as its interim president. RISD said Proulx will begin in the role starting July 1 while the institution continues its search for a new president.
Somerson, who has been RISD’s president since 2015, announced in late December 2020 that she will retire June 30 after this academic year.
Proulx has close to three decades of experience working in higher education, RISD said. He previously served six years as vice president of finance and administration, treasurer and special adviser to the president for revenue at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., before coming to RISD in 2018. Proulx also worked 14 years at the University of New Hampshire where he led the restructuring of the university’s budget, RISD said.
RSID board Chair Michael Spalter said in a statement Wednesday that Proulx has worked to significantly improve the arts college’s financial and administrative processes, promote transparency in RISD’s financial management and budget, and create structures to provide community input on financial and administrative decisions.
“As our interim president, he will focus on a successful opening of the campus in fall 2021 and continued progress on RISD’s strategic plan,” Spalter said. “The board and I have every confidence that Dave will expertly guide us forward while our presidential search is underway.”
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.
