PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corp. has a new leader.
The state’s largest provider of bond financing for health and educational institutions on Tuesday named Dylan Zelazo, Pawtucket's director of administration, as its new executive director.
RIHEBC spokesperson Christopher Hunter said Zelazo was selected from a group of 10 finalists for the job, but during a RIHEBC board meeting on Dec. 18 in which Zelazo was appointed, none of the board members offered any explanation as to why he was selected.
Responding to follow-up questions on Wednesday, Hunter said Zelazo is now negotiating his contract, including his salary, and the board will have "have more to say once things are finalized."
He is expected to start in January, but no date has been set.
Zelazo has been working at Pawtucket City Hall for 10 years, first as chief of staff, then director of administration, where he has been responsible for supervising department heads, developing the city’s annual budget, and overseeing economic development projects, RIHEBC said.
He previously worked as a policy analyst at the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Providence College and a Master of Public Administration from Indiana University Bloomington’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Pawtucket spokesperson Grace Voll called Zelazo's departure a "huge loss" for Mayor Donald R. Grebien's administration. Zelazo has played a prominent role in financing issues related to the Tidewater Landing project and the unified high school plans.
Voll said no timeline has been set for finding a new director of administration.
Zelazo will succeed Kimberly Mooers, whose contract was not renewed in August after five years on the job. She left the job on Nov. 30. Reasons why the RIHEBC board voted to "terminate her employment relationship,” were not disclosed publicly.
In a letter to the “RIHEBC community” on Sept. 8, RIHEBC Chairman Channavy Chhay praised Mooers’ work.
“Kim was deeply committed to all of RIHEBC’s borrowers and grantees, large and small, throughout all five years of her service but particularly during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic when she worked with the board to develop emergency loan and grant programs to aid RIHEBC’s institutions with the unexpected costs of the pandemic,” Chhay said.
During her tenure, Mooers oversaw the issuance of $1.9 billion in RIHEBC bonds to 40 borrowers, including 10 who had never borrowed through the corporation before, according to Chhay’s statement.
Of the $1.9 billion, $596 million represented refinancings which saved RIHEBC’s borrowers an estimated $90 million in debt service costs. Mooers also spearheaded the change to RIHEBC’s statute that enabled more kinds of not-for-profits to take advantage of RIHEBC programs.
(Updated to include a comment from spokesperson Christopher Hunter that the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corp. board would have more to say about Dylan Zelazo's appointment after his contract negotiations.)
Strange that “none of the board members offered any explanation as to why he was selected.”
Makes one suspect a political appointment of yet another incompetent, like Alviti.