Raimondo nominates five to R.I. Board of Education

GOV. GINA M. Raimondo is nominating five members to the state Board of Education, four of whom are new. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MARK S. MURPHY
GOV. GINA M. Raimondo is nominating five members to the state Board of Education, four of whom are new. / PBN FILE PHOTO/MARK S. MURPHY

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said she will nominate five members to the state Board of Education, four of whom are new.

The names will be submitted to the state Senate for confirmation.

They are:

  • Barbara Cottam of Providence (Raimondo’s nominee for board chair); she is executive vice president for Citizens Financial Group Inc., and a founding member of RI Kids Count, a child advocacy organization.
  • Jim Karam of Tiverton; he is president and CEO of First Bristol Corp., a real estate development and management company.
  • Marta V. Martínez of Warwick; she is executive director of Rhode Island Latino Arts, an arts education nonprofit that provides cultural programs for K-12 students.
  • Betsy Shimberg of Providence; she is program director for K-12 education at the Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University.
  • Rev. Dr. Jeffery Williams of Cranston (re-nomination); he founded the King’s Cathedral in 1999, a church; King’s Cathedral owns four other properties near the church for economic development, social services and educational purposes.

Raimondo thanked outgoing members Eva-Marie Mancuso, Patrick Guida, Antonio Barajas and Mat Santos for their public service on behalf of Rhode Island’s children. Mancuso was chair of the Board of Education, and Guida was chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education. Mancuso served for three years, and Guida, more than a decade, according to information from the governor’s office.

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“We must ensure all students in Rhode Island have access to the quality education they need to succeed in the 21st century. A great education is a ladder of opportunity. Great schools and a pipeline of well-trained, well-educated workers are key tools to attracting companies to invest and create jobs here,” Raimondo said. “The individuals I’m nominating today bring a wide-range of experience to the board.”

Raimondo intends to designate Karam and Williams to the Post-Secondary Council, and Martínez and Shimberg to the K-12 Council.

“I welcome this opportunity to serve on behalf of our students,” Cottam said. “I look forward to working with Governor Raimondo, the board, parents, teachers, educators and students in ensuring every child and young adult receives a quality education and achieves his or her potential.”

This is Raimondo’s second board shake-up of the week. On Wednesday, she nominated six new individuals to the I-195 Redevelopment Commission.

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