Providence, RI – Governor Lincoln D. Chafee announced today his nomination of Michael Bernstein as Chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Education – Council on Post Secondary Education, and Patrick Guida, Esq. as Chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Education – Council on Elementary and Secondary Education. They will be joining Eva-Marie Mancuso, Chair of the Rhode Island Board of Education, as the leadership team of education in Rhode Island.
"Their proven dedication and efforts will make Michael and Patrick great chairmen for their respective councils," Governor Chafee said. "I thank them for their past performance and look forward to their future accomplishments."
Michael Bernstein has been a member of the Board of Education since 2013. Bernstein holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Miami and has served for the past several years as an outreach volunteer coordinator for his alma mater in the greater RI area. He also holds a master's degree from Arizona State University, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Rhode Island Student Assistance Program, where he has volunteered for over 26 years. The program places professionals in schools around the state who provide invaluable services such as counseling, mental health, and suicide prevention to students and their families. In addition, he is the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Coastline Employee Assistance Program.
Patrick Guida, Esq. has been a member and Vice-Chair of the Board of Education since 2013. He previously served as Vice-Chair of the Rhode Island Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education and is the immediate past president and a current officer of the National Association of State Boards of Education. He has also served as a member of the Barrington School Committee for 18 years, including 12 years as chair; as former President of Rhode Island Association of School Committees; and has held several offices with the National Association of State Boards of Education. He received his bachelor's degree from Union College, in Schenectady, New York, and his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University. Guida is currently a partner of the Providence law firm of Duffy & Sweeney, LTD.
The Rhode Island Board of Education was established by the Rhode Island General Assembly in 2011, and replaced the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education and the Board of Governors for Higher Education. It is the primary policy-setting body overseeing K-20 education in Rhode Island, and works to ensure that all of the state's students receive the best possible education.