WARWICK – Mayor Scott Avedisian is a finalist for CEO of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, a quasi-state agency that he previously helped to lead as chairman of its board, according to his spokeswoman.
Avedisian did not respond to a phone message, but spokeswoman Courtney Marciano confirmed Tuesday he is a finalist for the RIPTA chief executive position. The mayor would not be releasing a statement on Tuesday, she said.
“We cannot anticipate what the board is going to do,” she said, referring to the RIPTA board of directors.
The RIPTA board is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a posted agenda. An update on the search for the CEO position is an agenda item, and the document indicates it could include a closed-session discussion.
A spokeswoman for the transit authority could not be reached Tuesday.
RIPTA is the authority that oversees public bus transportation in Rhode Island. Avedisian served on its board for a number of years, resigning from the board in May 2016. The interim CEO is Amy Pettine, who previously was the planning director.
In November of 2016, Avedisian was re-elected to as mayor of Warwick, a full-time position. He has been in office since February 2000 and is the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, according to the municipal website. He previously was a Warwick city councilman.
If he resigns his position as mayor, it is unclear if a special election will be required to fill the seat.
That would depend on when Avedisian vacates the office. Employees who work for the city’s Board of Elections said that if the mayor were to resign after a point in May (on Tuesday, they weren’t sure of the specific date), the seat could be temporarily filled by the president of the Warwick City Council until the next scheduled election.
Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at macdonald@PBN.com.
