PROVIDENCE – The Senate voted unanimously on Thursday to confirm Keith W. Stokes as executive director of the R.I. Economic Development Corporation.
The Senate also voted to confirm the 12 new members to the EDC board nominated by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri last month.
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Stokes, a longtime EDC board member who had been executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce since 1994, was appointed to the agency’s top job by Carcieri on Jan. 5 after the governor’s first choice, Ioanna Morfessis, withdrew. Stokes has already been working in the executive director’s job for more than a month.
Stokes becomes the EDC’s first permanent leader since December 2008, when former executive director Saul Kaplan resigned. EDC Deputy Director J. Michael Saul served as interim executive director until Stokes’ appointment.
Separately, the House voted to make Rep. Gordon Fox, D-Providence, the new speaker. Fox, who had been House majority leader, succeeds Rep. William Murphy, D-West Warwick.
The 10 men and two women named to the EDC board will serve staggered terms, with three each serving for one, two, three or four years. The governor will continue to serve as the board’s chair and 13th member.
Appointed to serve for four years, through February 2014, are Hasbro Inc. Chairman Alfred J. Verrecchia; Stephen Lane, co-founder and CEO of Ximedica LLC (formerly The Item Group); and Karl Wadensten, president of VIBCO Inc.
Appointed to serve for three years, through February 2013, are University of Rhode Island President David M. Dooley; J.L. “Lynn” Singleton, president of Providence Performing Arts Center; and Cheryl Watkins Snead, president and CEO of Banneker Industries Inc.
Appointed to serve for two years, through February 2012, are George Nee, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO; Dr. Timothy J. Babineau, president and CEO of Lifespan Corp.’s Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital; and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., president and CEO of Collette Travel Service Inc.
Appointed to serve for one year, through February 2011, are Shivan S. Subramaniam, chairman and CEO of FM Global; Paul J. Choquette Jr., chairman of Gilbane Inc.; and Donna C. Cupelo, region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island of Verizon Communications Inc.
Additional information is available at riedc.com.
