SOUTH KINGSTOWN – Raymond M. Williams, a senior counsel for global law firm DLA Piper US that has a Boston office, has been selected as the new chairperson of the University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement’s board of directors, URI announced Monday.
The URI Foundation serves as the fundraising arm for the state's only land-grant school.
Williams succeeds Alfred J. Verrecchia – the former Hasbro Inc. chairman and CEO – as the URI Foundation’s board chair. Verrecchia finished his term on June 30, URI says, which coincided the conclusion of the university’s “Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for the University of Rhode Island” initiative that
raised more than $300 million for URI.
URI says Williams, a graduate of the URI College of Business who competed on multiple athletics teams at the university, has been involved as a volunteer at URI for more than a decade. Has was previously vice chair of the URI Foundation’s board and sat on several advisory committees, as well.
Now, Williams will chair the URI Foundation’s board at a time when a new life sciences center is on the ballot this fall for possible voter approval, as well as the university pursuing renovations to Ballentine Hall – home of the College of Business – and the fine arts center, URI says.
As Al [Verrecchia] steps down, all of us at the [URI] Foundation & Alumni Engagement are excited to work with Ray in this new capacity,” URI Foundation President Lil Breul O’Rourke said in a statement. We are focused on the future and ready to work together to bring URI to the next level among flagship public universities.”
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 X at @James_Bessette.