This year is the 10th 40 Under Forty class, and yes, it’s a time to look back on what this program has meant for PBN and for Rhode Island.
For instance, our celebratory event this year has been moved to Ochre Court at Salve Regina University – not because we were unhappy with the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, but because we have just outgrown its capacity. By including so many of our 40 Under Forty alumni to help us celebrate this milestone, we are setting a new record for attendance.
Despite the recognition of the past, however, it really is a time to look forward. And from that perspective, the Ocean State is well-situated to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
We don’t plan it this way, but every year there seems to be a dominant trend that comes out of the honorees. Two years ago, the list was filled with entrepreneurs. Last year, industry sectors that are expected to grow – health care, education and STEM – were well represented.
This year seven medical doctors made the list, the most ever, a sign that the investment that the region has been making both publicly and privately in the quality of our health care is paying off in talent attracted.
One good sign is that only one of the seven is a native Rhode Islander, meaning that the rest represent a “brain gain” for the region. As has been noted, too often the public discourse hereabouts focuses on the negative. These winners, in fact, the entire list, are evidence that that attitude is not only destructive, but just wrong. Read this special section and see if you don’t agree with me.
Partner sponsors for this year’s program are the Bryant University Executive Development Center and the Graduate School of Business, Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick Ltd., Cox Business, Salve Regina University and the United Way of Rhode Island. Media sponsor is AM790.
Mark S. Murphy
Editor
