Paige Clausius-Parks
Paige Clausius-Parks is a Senior Policy Analyst at Rhode Island KIDS COUNT. Rhode Island KIDS COUNT works to improve the health, safety, education, economic well-being, and development of Rhode Island's children with a commitment to equity and the elimination of unacceptable disparities by race, ethnicity, disability, zip code, immigration status, neighborhood, and income. In her role, Paige is responsible for policy analysis, advocacy, and project management in areas related to education and economic well-being. Paige is honored to advocate alongside youth and families for equitable education and economic policies by authoring reports and testifying on budgetary investments and legislation that impact economic stability, school curriculum and culture, and college and career readiness initiatives.
Paige was a member of the Providence Public Schools review team and co-chaired the Excellence in Learning subcommittee of the Community Design Team, the team charged with helping to develop the Providence Turnaround Action Plan. Paige is a member of several coalitions and workgroups including the Providence Guaranteed Income Initiative working group, RaisingRI Coalition, Brown University Public Education Committee, Rhode Island Works Advisory Committee, SNAP Advisory Committee, Rhode Island Afterschool Network, Coalition for a Multilingual RI and the Rhode Island Alliance for College and Career Readiness where she serves as the coalition’s coordinator.
Prior to joining Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Paige served as the Director of Advancement for Books Are Wings, Network Director of the Youth 4 Change Alliance, and teacher/advisor at the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center. She has served on many boards including the Providence After School Alliance and Chair of the Youth In Action Board of Directors.
Paige’s commitment to the community has been recognized through many awards including Providence Business News, 40 Under 40 (2021) and YWCA, Women of Achievement (2009).
Paige has a Bachelor of Arts from Providence College and a Master of Education from Harvard University.
Mayor Jorge O. Elorza
As Providence’s 38th Mayor, Jorge O. Elorza has strived to build a Providence that works for all of its residents. Since taking office in January 2015, Elorza has led with integrity, boldness and long-term thinking by prioritizing opportunities for youth, ensuring transparency in city government, improving city services and providing a sound financial future for the capital city.
Born and raised in Providence, Mayor Elorza is a graduate of Classical High school, the University of Rhode Island, and Harvard Law School. Prior to being elected Mayor, he was a Legal Aid attorney, he served as a Providence Housing Court Judge, and he co-founded the Latino Policy Institute while he served as a professor at Roger Williams University School of Law. Mayor Elorza lives with his wife, Stephanie, and his son, Omar, in the Silver Lake neighborhood.
Bio Coming soon
Bio coming soon
Oscar Mejias, Co-Chair
Oscar Mejías was born in Venezuela. Graduated as Computer Engineer, he has been working in Business, Education & Technology for the Last 15 years in RI. He worked with several organizations like SBA, SBDC, RI Economic Development Center (EDC), Center of Women & Entrepreneurs (CWE), for training and educational purposes. Chairman of the Emerging Markets Committee in the Economical Summit organized by the Small Business Administration of Rhode Island (SBA) since 2015. He worked as IT Implementation Project Manager for a Global Financial Institution in Massachusetts (2011 - 2014).
Oscar Mejías is the Founder & CEO of RI Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, an organization whose mission is to advocate, promote and lead Hispanic owned business to success. This successful organization provides technical assistance and resources to Latino Business owners, supporting the economic development of the Latino Community in the state of Rhode Island.
Oscar Mejías is a recognized business and civic leader, whose involvement with the Latino community in the last 15 years has given him a well obtained reputation of dedication and leadership. As a business owner he has been awarded as New England Minority Business owner 2015(SBA) and recognized by The White House Initiative for Excellence in Education for Hispanics. He is the CEO of BETECH ( an IT Consulting firm) and EMERGING STUDIES INSTITUTE, a Bilingual Vocational & Technical School.
He is a recognized member of several Diversity & Inclusion committees : Providence Foundation, Providence Community Library, Cranston Armory Steering Committee, Governor's Working Group for Diversity in Construction among others. He is member of the City of Pawtucket Mayor’s Community Board and active member of several economic development committees in state of Rhode Island.
Larry Warner, MPH
Larry Warner is the Chief Impact and Equity Officer at United Way of Rhode Island, where oversees the organization's grantmaking, policy and advocacy, research and data analytics, 211 call center, senior and disability services, and work to advance racial equity. Larry also serves as co-chair of the Rhode Island Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity, a legislatively established body tasked with monitoring the status of health disparities and developing strategies to promote health equity. Larry has also served as vice chair of the steering committee for the Rhode Island State Innovation Model (SIM) Test Grant, a $20 million initiative funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to transform Rhode Island's healthcare system. Larry is a Doctor of Public Health candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he is studying health equity and social justice. He earned a Master of Public Health degree and Bachelor of Arts in Health and Society, both from Brown University.
"Public input and community engagement is so important to guiding the investment of significant resources such as are available through the American Rescue Plan funds. I look forward to the conversation with city leadership, community members, and colleagues from other community based organizations to help identify timely, strategic, and impactful opportunities. The right combination of investments can help address short term needs as well as create equitable outcomes and sustained improvements for all of Providence’s residents.”
Jaychele Schenck
Jaychele Schenck is a student activist. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the national youth organization "Gen Z: We Want To Live". She has been involved in social justice work for over three years. She has spoken at rallies, met with government officials, testified at the statehouse, and etc. She started 5 businesses and organizations. She has been apart of organizations like Young Voices, Sunrise Providence, Zero Hour, Planned Parenthood, March for Our Lives, Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, and many others. She has been featured in over 15 newspaper and TV reports.
Julian Drix, MPH
Julian Drix is a resident of Providence’s Washington Park neighborhood and an advocate for environmental justice in communities most impacted by pollution, climate risk and structural racism. Julian is Co-Director of the Health Equity Institute at the Rhode Island Department of Health, where he also serves as the COVID-19 Coordinated Response Lead for the hard-hit communities of Central Falls and Pawtucket. He received a Masters in Public Health and a Certificate in Environmental and Occupational Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is the recipient of Kresge Foundation's Emerging Leader in Public Health fellowship and the de Beaumont Foundation's 2019 “40 Under 40 in Public Health” award. Julian serves on the City of Providence Harbor Management Commission and is the Vice-Chair of the City of Providence Sustainability Commission.
Julian is serving on the City of Providence COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Task Force as an individual and not as representative of the State of Rhode Island or the Rhode Island Department of Health.
"Structural injustices amplified the devastating impacts of COVID-19 in Rhode Island, especially in BIPOC and immigrant communities. There are many harms to repair and we are still facing ongoing and future crises - these funds are a rare opportunity to make meaningful changes to recover from COVID-19 and make Providence more resilient."
Diana Perdomo
This is a such a unique moment for Providence and for cities across America that have received these once in a lifetime resources as part of the American Rescue Plan. I'm humbled at the opportunity to serve and am eager to help the City program these funds and set Providence toward a path of recovery and prosperity.
Diana Perdomo joined Mayor Elorza's administration as Chief of Policy in January of 2019. She is responsible for leading strategic direction and policy development for the City, including overseeing the American Rescue Plan, Policy, Healthy Communities Office, Office of Economic Opportunity and Workforce Solutions divisions.
Prior to joining the administration, Diana was the Director of Grants and Strategic Initiatives in Community Investment at United Way of Rhode Island where she led a team of content experts in granting over $4 million per year and providing professional development and technical assistance opportunities to local nonprofit agencies. Diana also worked in the Office of Global Engagement (OGE), a division of the Provost's Office at Brown University, to advance international and transnational efforts in the areas of research, teaching, and service. She also served in communications, program, and development roles for a number of non-profit organizations such as, Girl Scouts of the USA, The Mentoring Partnership of New York, and Brooklyn Community Housing and Services, and spent time as a teacher and administrator in southern Thailand.
Diana holds a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Master of Public Affairs from Brown University. She speaks Spanish, enjoys travel, the culinary arts, and being a mom. A native of Los Angeles, Diana married a Rhode Islander and has spent the last 11 years in the state. Her and her husband, Noah, have a toddler named Isaiah and a mutt named Rosie.
Councilwoman Kat Kerwin
Councilwoman Katherine Kerwin was elected to the City Council in 2018. She represents Ward 12 which includes the majority of the Smith Hill neighborhood, downtown, and parts of the East Side, Elmhurst, and Valley.
Councilwoman Kerwin is a Providence native, growing up in Ward 3 behind Gregg’s Restaurant and was educated at La Salle Academy. She studied Political Science and Geography at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she was recognized as a political organizer advocating for student speech and opposing campus carry legislation.
Councilwoman Kerwin returned home to Providence after school to accept a position as the Director of Communications for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence. She plans to use her organizing background as she advocates for affordable housing, sustainable solutions to the City’s pension crisis, a cleaner Providence, small business growth and investment on Smith Hill and across Ward 12.
Councilwoman Kerwin is a member of the Committee on City Property, the Committee on Public Works and the Committee on the Charles V. Chapin Memorial Awards.
Councilwoman Nirva LaFortune
Councilwoman Nirva R. LaFortune is a Providence City Council Member representing the City’s third ward and is the first Haitian American to hold elected office in the state of Rhode Island. Since joining the council following a special election in August 2017, Councilwoman LaFortune has served as the Vice Chair of the Special Committee on Education during the last term.
Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Councilwoman LaFortune migrated to Providence, Rhode Island at the age of three and was raised in the Southside and later Washington Park neighborhoods, where her parents still live.
Councilwoman LaFortune is the Assistant Director of The Scholars Programs and Diversity Initiatives in the Office of the Dean of the College at Brown University. Prior to returning to Providence, Councilwoman LaFortune was the Assistant Director for the Centers for Public Policy & Science Technology & Society at Drexel University.
She attended the Providence Public Schools, Pleasant View Elementary, Nathanael Greene Middle School and graduated from Mount Pleasant High School. She holds a B.A. in Communications from Temple University and is completing an M.A in Urban Education Policy at Brown University in the spring of 2019.
Councilwoman LaFortune has also championed affordable housing, support for minority and women-owned businesses, community development, prudent financial planning, and increasing transparency and community engagement in municipal affairs. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Sophia Academy and We the Village, as well as serving on the Advisory Committees for the Eastside YMCA and East Side Community Alliance.
Councilwoman LaFortune lives in Hope Village (Summit) with her two children, Messiah and Nyree-Simone and is an avid runner; she can often be seen running the streets of her Ward.
Councilwoman LaFortune is a member of the Committee on Claims and Pending Suits and the Committee on the Charles V. Chapin Memorial Award.
Jim Karam
James J. Karam is President, CEO, and founder of First Bristol Corporation and provides the leadership and direction for this 40-year-old New England Real Estate Development and Management Company. Mr. Karam’s commitment to excellence is evidenced by the successful nature of the company’s varied developments which exceed 4 million square feet of retail, commercial, and hotel developments. He is also co-owner of WSAR and WHTB radio stations, serving the Massachusetts Southcoast region.
Mr. Karam’s current and past professional and civic affiliations are extensive. He has devoted many hours to civic and charitable endeavors, especially in the area of public Higher Education, serving ten years as a Trustee of the UMass Five Campus System and four years as Chairman of its Board. He was also past Chair of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Boston, MA. Appointed by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, he was formerly the Chair of the Board of the largest Catholic community health care system in New England, Caritas Christi. Actively part of the Mass. Southcoast-Business community, he was a past Co-Chairman of the Southcoast Economic Development partnership and was past Chair of the Advisory Board of the Mass. Accelerator for Biomanufacturing (MAB). In the for-profit area, Mr. Karam currently serves on the Board of Directors of Steward Health Care System, a Dallas based national hospital system with 38 hospitals across the U.S.
Mr. Karam is an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. In addition, he is also the recipient of numerous awards including: the Fall River Chamber of Commerce “Outstanding Citizen” award, the University of Massachusetts “Entrepreneur of the Year” award, an “Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration” from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, an “Honorary Doctorate of Law” from the Southern New England School of Law (now UMass Dartmouth Law School), and Outstanding Trustee Achievement Award from the New England Board of Higher Education.
Shannon Carroll
Shannon Carroll, President & CEO of Genesis Center since 2014, is a nonprofit leader focused on adult education, workforce development and early child education for low-income, diverse individuals to promote opportunity and success through lifelong learning. Throughout her professional career, Shannon has held various positions on state and local boards that promote educational and workforce opportunities for community members.
Prior to Genesis Center, she was the workforce education director at Dorcas Place and taught English (ESOL) in the US and Asia, where she also studied Mandarin Chinese. Shannon holds a B.A. in Economics/Accounting from College of the Holy Cross and an M.A. in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University.
"It has been heartbreaking to see the disproportionate harm the pandemic has caused to many low-income households throughout our City, and I am grateful there are resources to support financial security and well-being for those in our community who need help."
Peter Asen
Peter Asen is Director of Strategy and Development for the Providence Housing Authority, a position he has held since January of 2018. In that job he oversees Strategic Planning and Resident Engagement and has also worked on development of new programs and funding. He previously served as the first Director of the Healthy Communities Office for the City of Providence, as well as Director of Intergovernmental Relations, and has worked as a Policy Analyst for the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Peter is a member of the Board of the Rhode Island Continuum of Care, which oversees guides the state’s homelessness programs and policies and administers federal homeless funds. He also serves as Treasurer for the Board of the Providence Preparatory Charter School, and on the Board of Directors for the Federal Hill House Association.
“I am excited to work with this great group of leaders and stakeholders to address housing and the other critical needs in our community from the pandemic.”
Angie Ankoma, Co-ChairAngela Bannerman Ankoma is the Vice President, Executive Director of Equity Leadership at the Rhode Island Foundation which she oversees the professional development of leaders of color in RI. She previously served as the Executive Vice President, Director of Community Investment at United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI). Angela directed UWRI’s grant-making, public policy, government relations, research and evaluation and 2-1-1/The Point. Prior to her role at UWRI, Angela worked at RI Department of Health (RIDOH) as the founding Co-Director of the Health Equity Institute where she oversaw the implementation of RIDOH’s leading priorities on health equity.
Angela has Masters Degrees in both Public Health and Social Work from Columbia University and has varied experience on innovative program design and building strategic cross-sector partnerships. She’s a current Doctoral student at University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Public Health. Angela is actively engaged in local community investment efforts. Angela serves on the board of West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation (WEHDC) in Providence’s West End neighborhood; a community she has lived in for over 40 years. Angela is one of the founding members of WEHDC’s nationally recognized Sankofa Initiative. The Sankofa Initiative is a multimillion dollar project that combines housing, a world market and farm to improve health outcomes among Providences’ growing immigrant community. Angela also serves on the Advisory Board of the Latino Policy Institute and Amos House.
Angela’s service to the community has garnered both local and national recognition. Awards of note include: YWCA, Woman of Achievement (2019), Providence Business News, C-Suite Awards (2019),
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Health Equity Award (2018), NeighborWorks America,
Dorothy Richardson Award for Outstanding Resident Leadership (2015); NAACP Providence Branch awarded Angela the Rosa Parks award (2016).
Angela is married with 4 children. She and her husband are the owners of Copa Menswear and Copa Xclusive Cuts in Providence, RI.Angela Bannerman Ankoma is the Vice President, Executive Director of Equity Leadership at the Rhode Island Foundation which she oversees the professional development of leaders of color in RI. She previously served as the Executive Vice President, Director of Community Investment at United Way of Rhode Island (UWRI). Angela directed UWRI’s grant-making, public policy, government relations, research and evaluation and 2-1-1/The Point. Prior to her role at UWRI, Angela worked at RI Department of Health (RIDOH) as the founding Co-Director of the Health Equity Institute where she oversaw the implementation of RIDOH’s leading priorities on health equity.
Angela has Masters Degrees in both Public Health and Social Work from Columbia University and has varied experience on innovative program design and building strategic cross-sector partnerships. She’s a current Doctoral student at University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Public Health. Angela is actively engaged in local community investment efforts. Angela serves on the board of West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation (WEHDC) in Providence’s West End neighborhood; a community she has lived in for over 40 years. Angela is one of the founding members of WEHDC’s nationally recognized Sankofa Initiative. The Sankofa Initiative is a multimillion dollar project that combines housing, a world market and farm to improve health outcomes among Providences’ growing immigrant community. Angela also serves on the Advisory Board of the Latino Policy Institute and Amos House.
Angela’s service to the community has garnered both local and national recognition. Awards of note include: YWCA, Woman of Achievement (2019), Providence Business News, C-Suite Awards (2019), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Health Equity Award (2018), NeighborWorks America, Dorothy Richardson Award for Outstanding Resident Leadership (2015); NAACP Providence Branch awarded Angela the Rosa Parks award (2016).
Angela is married with 4 children. She and her husband are the owners of Copa Menswear and Copa Xclusive Cuts in Providence, RI.
Kristin Adamo
Kristen Adamo is the president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) - a non-profit organization responsible for promoting the cities of Providence and Warwick to meeting and convention planners, as well as the city of Providence as a top leisure destination - and its subsidiary the Rhode Island Sports Commission. She oversees all day-to-day operations at the PWCVB, leading a staff of dedicated destination sales and marketing professionals.
Adamo joined the PWCVB in 2005 as Director of Communications, became the Vice President of Marketing and Communications in 2007 and assumed her current role in 2019. During her tenure with the PWCVB, the organization developed a cohesive destination brand, launched such successful marketing initiatives as Providence Restaurant Weeks, has seen Providence named “America’s Favorite City” in Travel + Leisure magazine, and won an Outstanding Sports Marketing award from the National Association of Sports Commissions.
Prior to joining the PWCVB, Adamo served as Manager of Public Relations at Advertising Ventures, a full service ad agency. Adamo has also been the Director of Advancement Marketing and Communications at Johnson & Wales University, where she received national awards for her work with corporations such as SYSCO, Coors Brewing Company and Marriott International to promote major gifts to the University and other partnerships.
Adamo has been named to Providence Business News’ “40 Under 40” list of Rhode Island’s most successful young businesspeople and to GoLocalProv’s “21 People to Watch in 2021.” She was named Hospitality Ambassador of the year by the RI Hospitality Association in 2014 and received the Producer’s Golden Circle Award from the RI Film Festival. She is an accredited public relations practitioner and a former president of the Southeastern New England Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Adamo currently serves on the boards of the State House Visitor Center, the State Planning Commission, the Roger Williams Park Zoo, the Rhode Island Film Festival, and StyleWeek Northeast.
She resides in Warwick, Rhode Island.
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"Out of the tragedy that has been the Covid-19 pandemic has come the opportunity to utilize funding to better the lives of Providence’s citizens and to bolster its business community. I am honored to help shape the ideas and initiatives that will propel Providence into the future."
