Council on Postsecondary Education Announces Community College of Rhode Island Presidential Search Details
The Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education today announces the composition of the committee that will participate in the selection of the next president of Community College of Rhode Island as well as the tentative award of the executive search firm.
“We’ve assembled a group of nine individuals, representing a variety of perspectives, who have accepted the responsibility of finding the person who will lead CCRI and position it for long-term academic excellence and student success,” said David Caprio, chairman, Council on Postsecondary Education. “The council will continue to share information with the Rhode Island community about the progress in the search while simultaneously protecting the privacy boundaries of the candidates.”
Search Committee
- Steve Smith, co-chair of the search committee; educational consultant, Steve Smith Consulting, LLC
- Hon. Elizabeth Ortiz, co-chair of the search committee; associate justice, R.I. Family Court
- David Caprio, chairman of the Council on Postsecondary Education
- Michael Mello, member of the Council on Postsecondary Education
- Marcy Reyes, member of the Council on Postsecondary Education
- Kim M. Barker, president, CCRI Foundation; executive vice president and chief legal officer, Bally’s Corporation
- Jude Tomasino, president, CCRI Professional Staff Association
- Mazin Adam, president, CCRI Faculty Association; professor of art & design
- Alicia Anthony, Esq., associate, Howe & Garside, Ltd.
The council is in negotiations with AGB Search after granting a tentative award to the professional executive search firm, a respondent to the council’s request for proposals. The RFP was issued to find a deeply experienced search firm to assist the council in recruiting, screening, and evaluating candidates for the position of president of Community College of Rhode Island. Upon formalization of a contract, work will begin immediately and is expected to be completed with the naming of the new CCRI president by the end of the spring 2025 semester.
The staff member assigned to aid the search committee is Anne Marie Coleman, RIOPC Assistant Commissioner of Human Resources and Labor Relations. Below are professional bios for the search committee members:
| Steve Smith, co-chair; educational consultant, Steve Smith Consulting, LLC | Steve Smith is the co-chair of the search committee. He is an educational consultant with more than 40 years of education experience including time as a teacher and president of the local chapter of the American Federation of Teachers. Smith also brings 20 years of experience and understanding of the legislative process as a former Rhode Island State Representative. Smith earned a B.A. in history, secondary education and teaching from Rhode Island College; an A.A. degree in liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies from Community College of Rhode Island; and a certificate, public education leadership project (PELP) from Harvard University. |
| Hon. Elizabeth Ortiz, co-chair; associate justice, R.I. Family Court ‘99 | Elizabeth Ortiz is an associate justice in Rhode Island Family Court, appointed in December 2020 by Governor Gina Raimondo. Prior to her tenure on the court, she was a municipal judge for the City of Central Falls and principal attorney of the Law Office of Elizabeth Ortiz, concentrating in family law. She also worked as a part-time adjunct professor in the legal studies department of Community College of Rhode Island. She is a graduate of Roger Williams University School of Law where she earned a juris doctorate with honors. She also holds a B.S. in paralegal studies from Roger Williams University and an associate degree from CCRI. |
| David Caprio, Council on Postsecondary Education | David Caprio is the chair of the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education. He is an attorney with the Caprio Law Firm in Providence and a former Rhode Island State Representative from 1999 to 2010. He is a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University Law School. He was appointed to the Board of Education in April 2022. |
| Michael Mello, Council on Postsecondary Education | Michael Mello is a member of the Council on Postsecondary Education and the vice president of global government relations & U.S. business development for IGT. Mello has been working with IGT in the government relations department since December 2006. During his career, he served as district director in R.I. for U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy; the chief of staff to Rhode Island General Treasurer Paul J. Tavares; and chief of staff to Providence Mayor David Cicilline. Prior to joining IGT, he was president of the Rhode Island Independent Higher Education Association. He has served on the Council on Postsecondary Education since 2021. Mello graduated from Roger Williams University with a bachelor’s degree in public administration. |
| Marcy Reyes, Council on Postsecondary Education | Marcy Reyes is a member of the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education and a director in the CAST Division at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. She is the founder of The FLY Initiative, bringing much-needed financial literacy programming to underserved and underrepresented youth. Reyes earned her undergraduate degree in finance from Rhode Island College in 2012, and earned a master’s in finance from Northeastern University in 2014. Reyes formerly served as an adjunct professor in finance at Rhode Island College. |
| Alicia L. Anthony, Esq., associate, Howe & Garside, Ltd. | Alicia Anthony is an attorney with the law firm of Howe and Garside, Ltd. where she specializes in trust, estate, and non-profit practice. Prior to joining Howe & Garside, Ltd., she was an attorney with Hinckley Allen and an associate fiduciary services officer with Webster Private Bank. In addition to her legal practice, she serves as president of the Charitable Gift Planners of Rhode Island; trustee of the Newport Public Education Foundation; trustee of Conexion Latina Newport; and is a member of both Salve Regina University’s Graduate School Advisory Board and the Rhode Island Foundation’s Professional Advisory Board. She has dedicated more than a decade to serving Alpha Omicron Pi, an international women’s collegiate fraternity, both at Bryant University and at the national level with its foundation. She earned a J.D. with honors from Roger Williams University School of Law; a Master of Public Administration, Non-Profit Management and a B.S. from Hilbert College, and a B.A. from Hartwick College. |
| Kim M. Barker, president, CCRI Foundation; executive vice president and chief legal officer, Bally’s Corporation | Kim M. Barker is the executive vice president and chief legal officer at Bally’s Corporation. Prior to joining Bally’s, Barker served as general counsel and vice president of legal and regulatory affairs for Northstar Lottery Group, LLC, a majority-owned IGT affiliate. She served as general counsel to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and a partner in the public law practice of two Chicago-based law firms. She is a graduate of Yale College and New York University School of Law. Barker is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois. Her board service includes Community College of Rhode Island Foundation, Family Service of Rhode Island, and Providence Mutual Fire Insurance Company. She also serves on the board of American Gaming Association and the Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Leadership Initiative Steering Committee. Barker was named one of iGB’s Most Influential Women in 2022. |
| Jude Tomasino, president, CCRI Professional Staff Association and Associate Director of Records | Jude Tomasino is associate director of records at CCRI and serves as the president of the Professional Staff Association as well as an adjunct faculty member in the business & professional studies department. He earned a B.S.in business administration from Nichols College, an M.A. in human resource administration from Framingham State College, an M.Ed. in interdisciplinary studies from Cambridge College, and a certificate of advance graduate studies in human resource management from Johnson & Wales University. He has served as president of the New England Transfer Association, and as scholarship chairman and president of the R.I. Association of Admission Officers. He has been recognized by the New England Association for College Admissions Counseling with a Professional of the Year award, a RIAAO Distinguished Member award, and Presidential Leadership Appreciation honors from both NETA and RIAAO. Additionally, he is a member of National Education Association, National Education Association Rhode Island, and other higher education industry organizations. |
| Mazin Adam, president, CCRI Faculty Association; professor of art & design | Mazin Adam is a potter, an educator, and assistant professor of art at CCRI. He is currently the president of the CCRI faculty association. He earned his master’s degree in fine arts at Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Crafts, and his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Northern Michigan University. He has worked at non-profit organizations such as Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, MI as a production potter and mold-maker and the Clay Studio of Philadelphia, as a ceramic technician. Adam has participated in artist-residencies and workshops in Germany, Thailand, Taiwan, and India. His work is exhibited nationally and internationally. |
Timeline for Community College of Rhode Island President Search
| September 2024 | RFP issued for executive search firm, with submittal deadline of October 17, 2024. |
| December 11, 2024 | Completion of RFP process and announcement of search firm and search committee at council meeting. |
| January 15, 2025 | RI CPE meeting. Search firm will present the presidential search profile to the council for approval. Nationwide search for president is activated. |
| May 2025 | Search Committee meets to review candidates and sends candidate slate to the search firm to conduct screenings prior to an invitation for interviews; Screenings and background checks of the candidate slate selected by the Search Committee. |
| May 2025 | Search Committee meets and interviews candidates; RI CPE Meeting. Review of finalists in CPE executive session. |
| Late June | RI CPE special meeting. Selection of candidate. |
