The American Heart Association selected attorney James J. Skeffington as the 14th recipient of the Richard M. Oster Gold Heart Award – given annually to an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the Rhode Island community.

Mr. Skeffington will receive the award at the Gold Heart Award Luncheon on March 25, 2009 at The Westin Providence.

“I regard this award not as a personal honor but as a welcome invitation to help the Heart Association raise public awareness and generate much needed donations,” said Mr. Skeffington, whose son, James, was born with a congenital heart defect considered fatal until 1968. “It was an incredibly trying time for us. The medical advances and research, many of which are funded by the American Heart Association, help ensure that those afflicted with congenital heart problems have hope for a cure and, more importantly, a chance to live a full and rewarding life.”

Mr. Skeffington is a leading partner at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge LLP. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers and a founding member of the American College of Bound Counsel. He has been listed as a “super lawyer” in numerous national and regional publications.

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Throughout his career in law and business, Mr. Skeffington has played a vital leadership role in numerous significant government and private business developments in Rhode Island, often behind the scenes and without fanfare. He has helped create and guide many of the state’s quasi-public authorities, such as the Port Authority and Economic Development Corporation, the Housing and Mortgage Corporation, the Health and Education Building Authority, the Student Loan Authority, the Industrial Facilities Corporation, the Industrial and Recreational Building Authority, the Solid Waste Management Corporation, the Public Building Authority, the Providence Public Parking Authority and the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Mr. Skeffington has influenced countless economic development endeavors in Rhode Island, including the arrival of General Dynamics and Fidelity; the relocation and expansion of Woman & Infants Hospital, Roger Williams University and Bryant University to new campuses in the Ocean State; the development of the Rhode Island Convention Center, The Westin Providence and the Providence Place Mall; the retention and expansion of the corporate headquarters of CVS/Caremark and GTECH; the parking improvements of T.F. Green Airport; and the development of Laurelmead, a premier retirement community and assisted living facility.

Mr. Skeffington’s philanthropic efforts have benefited many worthy causes. He is a founding member of the Coalition for Community Development, the creator of the Ocean State Charity Trust, Chairman Emeritus of the John E. Fogarty Foundation for the Mentally Retarded, a former member of the Board of Visitors of Georgetown University Law Center, a trustee of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, and a trustee of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

In addition to his generous support of the American Heart Association, Mr. Skeffington’s charitable efforts have included major personal and financial support for his alma maters, Boston College and Georgetown University, as well as for the Department of Pediatric Cardiology at Boston Children’s Hospital and for Rhode Island Catholic Charities.

“Mr. Skeffington’s efforts have significantly improved the health and well-being of our citizens,” said Victoria Smith, Executive Director at the American Heart Association in Rhode Island. “We owe him tremendous gratitude for his leadership and generosity.”

For more information about the Gold Heart Award Luncheon, please call 401-330-1715.