PROVIDENCE – Two new state government appointees will focus on economic development efforts at the R.I. Commerce Corporation. Stefan Pryor, the new commerce secretary, has appointed Darin Early as chief operating officer and Daniel Jennings as senior economic development adviser, the agency announced Thursday.
As chief operating officer, Early will oversee the daily operations of the commerce corporation. He worked for 11 years at Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., one of the country’s largest commercial real estate firms. He served as an executive vice president specializing in investment and development transactions.
Most recently, Early was working as a consultant in Los Angeles. At Jones Lang LaSalle, he led a team of investment and development professionals who advised the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on the construction, financing and other key aspects of the World Trade Center redevelopment.
Jennings will work closely with Pryor and Early to execute real estate and economic development transactions that grow jobs in the state, according to the release. He worked for four years as senior vice president at the Brick City Development Corp., an economic development agency in Newark.